Women police units in India: a new direction Available to Purchase

Twenty‐nine all‐women police units have recently (1994) been established by the Tamil Nadu State Police in South India. These units generally consist of 15 women constables and 2 sub‐inspectors under the command of an Inspector. They mainly deal with family‐related disputes and cases involving women and children, but also serve the full range of general police functions. The units were established for two main reasons: (i) to engender trust in the police among women victims and (ii) to provide an independent career structure for women police officers. Interviews with officers in five of these units revealed a high level of satisfaction with the work and the career prospects. Many more of the women in the units than in a general sample of women officers questioned in 1988 expressed interest in performing the full range of police duties, but they also said they would like to do this in units staffed only by women. More detailed evaluations of the units are needed to see how far the units address the needs of women police officers in traditional cultures.