No tolerance for crimes against women from India’s female cops
All-female police units are shaking up the male-dominated force in conservative northwest India, combating sex crimes and a pervasive culture of silence around rape.
One squad, in Jaipur, has been patrolling bus stops, colleges and parks where women are regularly harassed.
Women often face abuse on India’s streets, enduring everything from lewd jokes and strangers following them to physical and sexual assault.
“The message we want to send out is that we have zero tolerance towards crimes against women,” said Kamal Shekhawat, who heads the specialist Jaipur unit established in May.
India, where nearly 40,000 rapes are reported every year, has a poor record on sex crimes.
The real figure is thought to be far higher, and victims are wary about how their complaints will be dealt with.
India’s police force is overwhelmingly male and women make up 7 per cent of officers. Campaigners complain that victims are often judged by their appearance, asked probing questions, or blamed for provoking the crime.
The shame attached to rape in India’s patriarchal society, and fear of reprisal, means many sex crimes are not reported and offenders go unpunished.
Ms Shekhawat hopes the presence of female officers will encourage more women in Jaipur to report their abusers.
“Women police are more empathetic and victims also feel more confident and are able to communicate openly with them,” she said.
At a park in Jaipur, Constable Saroj Chodhuary dismounted from her scooter and approached a group of sari-clad women to introduce herself.
“You can just make a call or even message on WhatsApp and we will be right there,” she said as she passed around her details. “Your identity will not be revealed, so you can feel free to register your complaint.
“If someone makes cat calls or troubles you in any way, do let us know. Don’t take the law in your own hands.”
The women appear impressed by her authority – Ms Chodhuary and her colleagues are trained in martial arts and spent months learning the law.
Radha Jhabua, a 24-year-old mother, said she wanted to complain about a neighbour stalking her but her husband feared it would bring the family a bad name.
“He told me to keep quiet and wait for the man to change his ways. I am glad we can now just send a WhatsApp message to these sisters and they will take care of the rest,” she said.
Seema Sahu, a 38-year-old mother of two, said she avoided going out at night with her daughters.
“I am so glad now these policewomen will be on the roads. Their very presence gives us confidence,” she said.
India faced international scrutiny over levels of violence against women after the fatal gang-rape of a student in New Delhi in December 2012.
Laws to punish sex offenders were strengthened in the aftermath, but attacks are still widespread. In the capital New Delhi alone, there were 2,199 rape cases in 2015 – an average of six a day.
India’s police forces have been ordered to recruit more female officers, the target being for women to make up a third of the force.
The Jaipur unit is the second in Rajasthan state. The first was in Udaipur in October.
Police in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh have come under fire for their controversial approach to combat sex-related crimes in the lawless state.
There officers, including women, patrolling in so-called “anti-Romeo squads” have been accused of harassing unmarried and interfaith couples in an effort to enforce a moral code reflecting Hindu values.
Ms Shekhawat said there would be no such methods on her watch.
“We have seen positive results wherever our teams are on patrol,” she said. “It is restoring the faith of the public in the police, which is a must for maintaining law and order.”