Percentage of females employed in law enforcement
Women currently account for 46% of the entire workforce. Statistics from the Uniform Crime Report (UCR) by the FBI indicate that women make up a mere 13% of the entire law enforcement workforce (Stange et al, 2011). Of the 13%, just about of African American are employed in the law enforcement. The National Centre for Women and Policing gives 9.6% are women law enforcement officers are in supervising positions such as lieutenants and sergeants. Women in top positions, such as captain, make up a mere 7%. Except for a few federal law enforcement departments such as the FBI, many women officers work predominantly in lower of service (Stange et al, 2011). It almost an unspoken reality that the smaller the agency the lower percentage of women representation.
2012 US Statics – Women in Law Enforcement
% of Women in Law Enforcement 13%
% of Women in Supervisory Roles 7%
% African American Women in Law Enforcement 5%
(CJSI, 2012)
Barriers to women employment in law enforcement
Generally, women trying to make it in law enforcement have faced a myriad of barriers ranging from outright discrimination, differential treatment, perpetual sexual harassment, a host of advancement limits to unwarranted double standards (Natarajan, 2008).
Traditionally, law enforcement has been a male dominated field, translating that it has been remarkably slower to embrace women into the profession. This sorry state of affairs has been perpetuated by age-old superstition that women are incapable, both physically and mentally, to handle the job. Even after the ratification of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act by the Supreme Court in 1979, a number of law enforcement agencies adopted the height and weight limits to ensure that women would not meet the qualifications (Stange et al, 2011). In the recent past, some agencies have engaged in manipulation of the physical agility testing offered to women applicant as an effective way to push them out of competition.
The fact that there have been significant reforms in the law enforcement profession towards more diversity along with development of clicks, the true sense of brotherhood is yet to be achieved. Female officers have the constant challenge of working extra hard to prove themselves to the majority that are just as good as their male counterparts. Similarly, the women have to be relatively more cautious of their actions and words to gain acceptance. Women thus face discrimination on the premise that they are “cut out” to be law enforcement officers (Natarajan, 2008). The need to work harder to prove themselves often leads to burnout and/or quitting their job altogether.
Furthermore, women experience harassment and limitations that are not likely to be meted on their male colleagues. There is still widespread sexual harassment in the workplace, which creates hostile, intimidating, or otherwise offensive environment for female officers. The chauvinistic rhetoric among male officers is highly offensive and discouraging to many women in the profession or potential ones. Most women would shy away from confronting such situations out of real fear of negative backlash, something that significantly contributes to stress among the female officers.
In law enforcement field, women are yet to match the advancement and remuneration standards of their male counterparts. It is estimated that women officers’ average about $0.77 to every 1.000 paid to male officers for the same job description (Cole & Smith, 2007). Another major reason for high resignation rates among women is the issue of males, especially white males, the ease with which they can advance beyond their entry-level positions within a department over females and minorities.
However, all is not lost as agencies are increasingly using new innovative techniques to attract, hire, and retain qualified females. Given that women have better communication and problem solving skills compared to men, agencies are increasingly delegating then to individual situations that entail handling calls for assistance within the community. Police agencies are also using the help of mentors as an effective support tool for new female recruits. As such, there exist women-devoted organization in law enforcement such as the National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives (NAWLEE), and the International Association of Women Police (IAWP). Finally, most agencies across the nation are now under court consent decree (Cole & Smith, 2007).
References:
Stange, Z.M., Oyster, K.O., & Sloan, E. J. (2011). Encyclopaedia of Women in Today’s World, Volume 1. New York: SAGE.
Natarajan, M. (2008). Women Police in a Changing Society: Back Door to Equality. Farnham: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.
Cole, F. G., & Smith, E. C. (2007). Criminal Justice In America. Connecticut: Cengage Learning.
