event
Carnegie India

Creating a Gender Equal Police Force

Fri. July 31st, 2020
Zoom Webinar

In addition to maintaining law and order, police authorities have been integral to providing basic social services as we deal with the pandemic. Yet, the police-public interface continues to be marked by deep distrust, often hampering policing efficiency. Women, as even anecdotal evidence suggests, feel particularly intimidated by the police. Within law enforcement, women make up only 7.28% of India's total police force. Of these, 90% are constables, while less than 1% hold supervisory positions. Would improving this gender bias within the force help in ensuring that the police is able to carry out its duties more effectively? ​Will a more gender representative police force help build trust within communities? How can we make a career in the police force an accessible and inviting opportunity for women in India?

In our fifth Anahita Speaker Series session of 2020, Mokshada Patil—superintendent of police, Aurangabad Rural­­—drew on her years long experience to discuss how creating a gender equal police force can create conditions for effective policing, and how police authorities can work with various stakeholders to build trust. The discussion was moderated by Sharon Robson, a Vedica scholar.

Domestic PoliticsSouth AsiaIndia
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
event speakers

Mokshada Patil

Mokshada Patil is an IPS officer (2011 batch), and is presently the Superintendent of Police, Aurangabad rural (Maharashtra). In her role as the chief police officer of the region, she is in charge of the police force and for the prevention, detection, and investigation of crime. Prior to this she was the superintendent of police, Washim and additional superintendent of police, Jalgaon. She works closely with various civil society organizations, educational institutions, and other stakeholders to promote collaboration on gender-related issues. She recently launched a gender sensitization program aimed at rural youth to create awareness about domestic violence and other forms of sexual harassment at work.

Sharon Robson

Scholar, The Vedica Scholars Programme for Women.