‘Centre committed to ensure 33% women in UT police force’

Releasing a report titled ‘Rough Roads to Equality - Women Police in South Asia’, a first-of-its-kind study conducted by the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI), Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju attributed the gender gap in the police to “the regressive mindset <g data-gr-id="13">across-the board</g>, from senior officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs to members of wider society.”

Rijiju urged for more women in all police stations and assured the participants that the Centre was serious about ensuring greater representation of women in the police force. While advisories were being sent to all state governments, in all the UTs, including Delhi, the Centre was determined to ensure 33 per cent representation.

On the occasion, National Police Academy director Aruna M Bahuguna, an Andhra cadre IPS, shared her personal challenges she faced such as managing work and <g data-gr-id="17">home,</g> while she raised children. “At the time there was some maternity leave, no childcare leave and always the guilt that I was focusing on <g data-gr-id="16">career</g> at the cost of children. This, however, did not stop her from serving in insurgency areas and conflict zones.” CHRI director Maja Daruwala said, “If you disaggregate police work, the ‘muscularity’ requirement is only a thin sliver of total work. Management, administration, investigation, going to court, forensics, etc., are all non-physical work.”