Female police squad against sexual assault

Female police officers are reshaping the male-dominated force in northwestern India, cracking down on sex crimes and breaking the culture of silence around rape.

Patrolling bus stops, colleges and parks, where women are vulnerable to sexual harassment, is a daily routine for a recently formed all-women police unit in Jaipur, the capital of the northwestern Indian state of Rajasthan.

India has a notorious record for sex crimes, with nearly 40,000 rapes reported each year. But the actual number is thought to be much higher, as victims often do not report the case out of fear of how it will be handled.

“The message we want to give is that we have zero tolerance for crimes against women,” said Kamal Shekhawat, head of the Jaipur task force set up in late May.

A female police unit in Jaipur was established to help women boldly report "pedophiles". Photo: AFP.

Just a message

Only 7% of India's police force are women. And activists say victims are often judged by their appearance, questioned as criminals or even accused of encouraging the rapist.

The shame of rape is also deeply ingrained in India's patriarchal society, as is the fear of retaliation, which prevents many victims from reporting the crime and ultimately leads to perpetrators going unpunished.

Ms Shekhawat hopes that seeing female police officers on patrol will encourage more women in Jaipur to report harassers because they will feel they have someone to talk to.

"Female police officers will be more sympathetic and victims will also feel confident to be able to report more openly to them," she said.

Kamal Shekhawat, head of the women's police force in Jaipur. Photo: AFP.

At a park in Jaipur, policewoman Saroj Chodhuary, dressed in khaki and wearing a white helmet, stepped out of her patrol car and walked toward a group of women in saris to introduce herself.

“You just need to call or even just send a message on WhatsApp. We will be there immediately,” she said.

"Your identity will not be revealed so you don't have to worry about reporting it. If someone calls to tease or bother you, let us know. Don't keep quiet."

The women were impressed by Chodhuary’s charisma and felt reassured knowing help was just a phone call away. Chodhuary and his colleagues had been trained in martial arts and spent months studying law.

Jaipur female police team promotes crime reporting awareness among women. Photo: AFP.

Radha Jhabua, a 24-year-old mother, said she wanted to report a neighbor who was stalking her but her husband feared doing so would bring shame to the family.

"My husband wanted me to keep quiet and wait for the man to change his behaviour. I am glad that now we just need to send a Whatsapp message to these sisters and they will do the rest," she told AFP.

Seema Sahu, a 38-year-old mother of two, said she usually avoids going out with her daughters in the evenings.

"I am very happy that these female police officers will patrol the streets. Their presence gives us more confidence," she said.

Restore order

India has been under international scrutiny over its levels of violence against women following the fatal gang rape of a medical student in New Delhi in December 2012.

Sex crime laws have been strengthened, but attacks are still widespread. In the capital New Delhi alone, there were 2,199 rapes in 2015, an average of six a day.

Indian police have been ordered to recruit more female police officers until women make up one-third of the force.

But until now, the number of female police officers is still very small.

Female police officers on patrol in Jaipur. Photo: AFP.

The women police unit in Jaipur is the second in Rajasthan. The first unit was set up in Udaipur in October last year.

Police in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh, a state notorious for its unrest, have been criticised for their controversial approach to tackling sex-related crimes.

Officers, including women, conducting patrols dubbed the “Anti-Romeo Squad” have been accused of harassing unmarried interfaith couples in an effort to enforce a moral code that reflects Hindu values.

Shekhawat said that there is no such practice in her patrol team. “We see very good impact and positive results wherever our team patrols,” she said.

“Our operations are effective in deterring and helping to restore public confidence in the police force, which is essential to maintaining law and order.”

Men are also taking an interest in the work of the women police force. "This is a very good step. When a man is bullied by these women, others will be alert. They will have to modify their behaviour," said Ram Lal Gujar, a Jaipur resident.

According to Zing.vn