Karnataka to have more female police stations

 

Recently, the Home Minister of Karnataka Dr G Parameshawara confirmed that in the upcoming state budget the government would announce more all-women police stations. This announcement was made at the inauguration of training programme on ‘Gender-sensitive best practices, implementations & capacity building of police officials’ hosted at the office of City Police Commissioner. 

 

The Minister also emphasised on gender sensitisation among all and not just among policemen. “No city can be considered safe unless women in that city feel safe,” he was quoted by The New Indian Express as saying. 

 

He also touched upon an important point by saying that this ‘government is keen to recruit more women cops’. The minister also disclosed that the government has reserved 20% posts in all departments for women. 

 

In India, the authorities are emphasising on creating more and more all-women police station to ensure that more crimes against women are reported. Also, it is a general assumption that women police will be more sympathetic towards the victims and the victims will find it easy to confide in them.

 

However, the problem is that in India out of the total number of police officials only 6.11% are female officials in various designations. Whereas the number of crime committed against women in India is shockingly high. So, if the all-women police stations are created to address gender violence, then there is a need to recruit a high number of female police officials.

 

Apart from emphasising on recruit more female officials, the state governments as well as the central government should focus on sensitising the male police officials about gender violence to respond better. The increasing number of gender violence does not call for more all-women police station, but it calls for a better responsive police force.