To give adequate representation to women in police force, Jammu and Kashmir government has approved 15% reservation for females in non-gazetted posts.
“On #NationalGirlChildDay, approved 15% reservation for women in non-gazetted posts of @JmuKmrPolice. This is just the beginning. We are determined and committed to increase it further in the future,” Office of LG J&K tweeted.
“For women and girls to be agents of change, J&K government is committed to ensure Nari Shaktis’ social and economic empowerment while redressing long-standing inequalities to build a more just and resilient society,” it added.
As policewomen are more suited to deal with policing requirements of womenfolk and children, which is more than half the total population, the reservation is seen as a step in the right direction.
Qurat-ul-Ain Masoodi, a Kashmiri women rights activist, while welcoming the announcement said, “When a sizable number of women would join the police force it would in a long way improve the police image in society.”
“Besides women have more patience, empathy, solicitude and tolerance which all are so valuable for democratic policing. Women are also less likely to use excessive force, which means a curb on malpractices like third-degree and custodial violence,” she told DH.
For a long time, policing in conservative Muslim society of Kashmir has been considered a masculine profession, a male bastion. However, in the last decade or so, several Kashmiri women have qualified for the Indian Police Service (IPS) and Kashmir Police Service (KPS) exams.
“Societal stereotypes are a barrier for girls to choose the police force as a career. Joining the police often becomes a hindrance in marriage prospects for girls – hence there is an undercurrent of social discouragement,” said Ruqiya, a college student.
Ruqiya, who wants to join the force after completing her studies, said that she has been persuading her family to allow her to join the police. “Initially my parents were reluctant, but when women like Sheema Nabi Qasba qualified IPS, it has given a lot of hope for me. I want to become a police officer and serve my society,” she said.
“It is important to take care of misogynistic tendencies among male police personnel, including officers, to encourage more women to join the force,” she added.
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