New Delhi: The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) has issued a notice to the city police, seeking reasons for no female station house officer (SHO) at any police station.
The Delhi Police has been asked to file its reply before the DCW by March 19, the panel said on Tuesday.
In a statement, the DCW said according to reports, none of the 178 police stations in the national Capital has a woman SHO.
The reports also state that while there are rules guaranteeing a 33-per cent reservation for women in the force, their participation remains to be particularly low, the statement said.
In order to identify eligible women officers for the role, the commission has sought the details of the male and female officers of the rank of inspector, including their sanctioned and current number of posts, it added. The DCW has asked the Delhi Police to submit a list of the steps taken to increase the participation of women officers at the higher level, the statement said.
The commission believes that it is pertinent to increase the participation of women in the police. Also, it is important that women SHOs are appointed at sensitive police stations like Kamla Market, which covers areas such as the GB road, according to the statement.
"We have been informed that there are no women SHOs in any of the 178 police stations in Delhi. This is very shocking and disappointing at the same time. It is very important to ensure equal participation of women in the force. Further, areas like GB road must have women SHOs. We have issued a notice to the police in the matter and sought answers to our concerns," DCW chief Swati Maliwal was quoted in the statement as saying.
Millennium Post had on March 9 reported that while women comprise 13 per cent of the Delhi Police's strength in the city, only 21 of the total over 100 DCPs, Additional DCPs, Additional CPs, Joint CPs and Special CPs in the city are women. The report also found that across 5 district jurisdictions of the Delhi Police, there was no woman Station House Officer in any of the over 170 police stations.
However, the Delhi Police does have women leading specialised units and women-only police stations.