Experiences of Women Police at Work Place in Pakistan
IntroductionPakistan is a patriarchal and gender segregated society with established set of norms and values. Women constitute 48.4% of the population (Government of Pakistan, 2011) in the country and are considered as custodian of cultural norms and values. Pakistani culture places restrictions on the mobility of women, and associates honor and respect with their movement and safety. Often women are not allowed to interact with people they are not related to (Bano, 2009; Syed Ali, 2005).Gender discrimination at workplace is an issue that has been highlighted through academic research across the world. Research has demonstrated that there are many fields of life in which women perform much better than men but they do not get proper rewards for their contribution. Women are suppressed in family, community and society and are not given their right position in spite of claims for gender equality and equity (Munis, 2009).In Pakistan women have historically remained within the private sphere and their participation in the public spaces has remained limited(Weiss, Hussain, Sathar, 2001).However, in recent years due to technological advancements the economic opportunities for women have been increased and they can be seen working in diverse range of occupations including those institutions which are male dominating and were forbidden for women in the past (Shabir, Aqdus Iqbal, 2009) One of these institutions is the police department.Working in the police department is challenging for women since it involves frequent mobility and public dealing. This is against the traditionally expected socio cultural roles from women in the Pakistani society. Despite such constraints, the participation of women working in the police department has increased recently in the country. In police department, gender integration and prospect for women to contribute in forming policy has been the result of their own courage and struggle(Schulz, 1995).Although a very small portion of women choose to work in the police department yet men consider them as a threat for them. These women encounter numerous problems while working in such male dominated spaces. They are neither supported by their male colleagues nor by the public (Pearce, 2010).Keeping in consideration the reality that women in police department generally face negative attitudes of the male colleagues and also by their families as well as communities, this study aims to explore the discrimination faced by women working in police department. It further analyzes the impact of this discrimination on the women's work performance.Literature ReviewSince the profession of Police is predominantly male dominated women have been reported to have feelings of exclusion in this profession. Consequently they encounter constraints in adjustment and performance at work. Studies in India have explored the problems faced by police women specifically focusing on job adjustment and work performance. In a survey conducted among lady police adjustments in India, the behavior and facilitation of women police with their male colleagues were explored (Jisu Worley, 2011) According to the data the officers of Orissa were reported to be more inclined towards their job than their counterparts in Delhi particularly because of greater urban population and larger families in Delhi. The study reported that despite this commitment on part of women police they are still considered ineligible for police job due to the male dominant nature of the society.Likewise, Skerlj and Viijent (2009) reported in their study that female discrimination was practiced in police in Solvenia for many years. Women were considered misfit for the force as they were considered weak and powerless. The researchers have reported that this trend has changed recently and the Slovenian police force now employs women officers.Similarly, Gavin and Metcalfe (2007) analyzed the slow promotion and encouragement for female police officers with respect to the mismanagement and less commitment to goals by female officers as compared to the male officers.