A policeman’s job is hard enough. A policewoman’s would be much harder, faced not just with unwelcome attentions of her boorish male colleagues, but pressure from her superiors, who are often well-connected with the powers that be, and expect her to, mindlessly follow their diktat. Are policewomen like Anupama Shenoy and now Roopa Tambada, the exceptions to the rule? Are women government servants, at the receiving end of similar threats unless they fall in line, similarly ill-suited, simply square pegs in these round holes. We need more women in the workforce? But on these terms? Or is the current spree of suicides and suicide attempts just a trend and maybe a passing phase?
The recent suicide attempt by a city sub-inspector, Roopa Tambada, allegedly as a result of prolonged harassment by her supervisory officer, inspector Sanjeev Gowda, has turned the spotlight back on the dark underbelly of the state’s law and order police wing. The extreme step taken by the woman PSI has come as a rude shock to many of her colleagues and batchmates, who have known her for years.
Read | Guest column: ‘Gender sensitization should be taken up seriously’
“I still can’t believe she would do something like this. I have known her for years. She is a daring officer. I don’t know why she tried to harm herself. I would approach my seniors if I was harassed or ill- treated, but never try to kill myself,” said Ms Renuka AV, a woman police sub-inspector attached to the Mico Layout police station.
We are used to working for long hours in our profession. We don’t have any fixed hours so if there is a need and I am called on duty in the middle of the night I go to the station or the scene of crime. I was fully aware of what I wanted when I opted for this career 10 years ago. I am the only lady officer in my police station, but I don’t feel awkward. My inspector and my fellow sub inspectors don’t make me feel any less. I have never faced any kind of harassment from my seniors. Once I am home I hang up my uniform and spend quality time with my family. I am not a cop at home, but a wife and mother. I also acknowledge the support of my husband and my daughter, because without it, it would have been difficult for me to give my best at work and at home
– Ishwari, Sub Inspector, Jayanagar police station
While her approach is certainly the more sensible, the fact that Ms Tambada cracked under pressure despite being labelled a “tough officer” speaks volumes about the problems that women officers encounter in the police department. The malaise became evident when even a senior officer like former Deputy Superintendent of Police of Kudigi, Anupama Shenoy, buckled under the pressures of the job and hung up her boots recently.
Ms Shenoy, who once dared to keep the then labour minister’s call on hold, gave up the fight and quit the force allegedly due to the all powerful liquor mafia’s influence in the police wing, which she reportedly found too hard to counter. Acknowledging that political interference was an issue, Ms. Shenoy, speaking to the Deccan Chronicle on the phone from Delhi, said other problems like gender bias too dogged women in the police force. “Although women gazetted officers don’t suffer much harassment, women constables and sub inspectors are constantly harassed. There are instances of sexual harassment of constables and sub- inspectors by their seniors as well, but such incidents don’t come to light because the victims are worried about the consequences,” she disclosed.
Women police officers also allege discrimination in allotment of routine duties and in the handling of important cases. “Just because we are women, we are told we cannot perform certain duties. The attitude of male officers has not changed though women have been working in the department for decades and have often displayed exemplary professionalism. When we have undergone the same training as men, why this disparity?” asked one woman officer.
There are highs and lows in every profession. We need to do the balancing act and handle ourselves accordingly. I am proud to be a police officer. I was given the same training as my male colleagues, so why should I feel any less? I give respect and get respect in return. I have the support of my husband and our two children with whom I try and spend quality time. They understand the demands of my profession and I am thankful to them
– Anjumala Nayak, Inspector, Ulsoorgate police station
Several are unhappy that they are almost always expected to sit behind desks in police stations and not considered for patrolling or other jobs that their male counterparts do. “Only if a case involves women, such as rape, molestation or eve teasing or if a large number of women participate in a protest are we treated as police officers by our seniors,” regretted a woman constable, wondering when they would get treated as equals deserving of the same opportunities as the male police in the force.
Not enough women in the force
“There is 20 per cent reservation for women in the department and we are slowly inching towards the target. Presently, there could be 15 to 18 per cent women officers in the department,” said Additional Director General of Police, Training, Raghavendra Auradkar, adding that a lot many women applied for direct recruitment in the police department today. “We have very fine women officers, who have stood up to professional challenges and are very committed to their jobs,” he said, however, admitting that there was need for gender sensitization in the department.
“Women have to balance between their professional and personal lives. The supervisory officers should be sensitive while interacting with them. We have introduced gender sensitization in the training curriculum for sub inspectors and there has been a change in attitude,” he claimed. Another police officer acknowledged that women were not allowed to do night patrolling. “If need be they can be called at night, but no woman cop is sent out on night patrolling. They are instead posted at the control room to manage the police emergency number, ‘Dial 100,” he explained.
‘If need be, quit the job, not life’
“Don’t quit on life. If something bothers you in the job or profession you are in, quit the job. It takes a lot of commitment, patience, grit, determination and responsibility to work in a force that is male dominated. But once you don the khaki there is no looking back,” said police sub-inspector Renuka AV. A 2007 batch officer, the 34-year-old PSI was recently transferred to the Mico Layout police station. Mother of a five-year-old boy, Ms Renuka, was earlier posted at the Banshankari police station. Though she doesn’t deny there is harassment in the police department, she says it depends upon how one deals with it. If a woman has the right attitude, she can survive in any field or department, in her view.
“I usually start my day at 6 am. After getting my son ready for school, I report to duty at around 8.30 am and work till 10.30 pm. After a long day at work, it becomes cumbersome for me to do household chores as well. But then again we can’t mix our personal problems with our professional,” added the lady police officer, who admits to have been naïve and quite gentle on first joining the police force.
But she reveals that she soon got accustomed to the crudeness of her profession. Dealing with criminals and deadlines, Ms Renuka is now a tough cop by her own admission and used to the foul language and tough demeanour that cops are notorious for. “I am used to the challenges of the job and take it in my stride. Nothing bothers me. There have been times when my senior officer has raised his voice and hauled me up in front of the station staff. Though I felt bad and hurt at the time, I chose to ignore it and concentrate on my work,” she recounted.
But Ms Renuka believes that male officers need to be sensitive to their women colleagues. “I have on occasions approached my reporting officers to exempt me from duty on medical grounds but they either failed to understand or didn’t want to understand why I needed time off. They told me that I should have opted for a softer career option or sat at home. I was livid. But now I have become tough and know how to deal with situations like these,” she explained.
