Women in Uniform: Indonesia

When I was a nipper my mum always said that when I was out anywhere and needed help then I was to ask a policeman. I can remember seeing the first female police officer 'on the beat' and wondering why she wasn't at home cooking dinner. Give me a break, I was a kid then!.

Now females hold high positions in the police forces throughout the world and can be seen on the front lines when trouble breaks out. I was reading an article in the JP written by Duncan Graham of Indonesia Now about female Indonesian police officers. They are not given half the breaks that their counterparts are in the rest of the world.

Here is the article by Duncan Graham:

Women in the police still a tiny minority

There are 37,380 police officers in East Java. Only 1,247 are women: That's just over 3 percent.

polwan.jpg
Photo: Duncan Graham

Women have been employed by the police in Britain and the U.S. for more than a century. Originally known as "police matrons" their duties were confined to handling women criminals and caring for their children.

One of the most famous 19th century pioneers was Scot Rachel Hamilton - though historians reckon her recruitment rested more on her size. She was 195 cm tall, weighed more than 100 kilograms and reputedly could quench a Glasgow riot just by appearing at the scene.

International research confirms Sri's view that policewomen are more popular than men when dealing with the public. They're not as authoritative, use less force and tend to be better at cooling tense situations. This is particularly so in cultures where women are well respected.

The social worker role has long defined women police officers in the minds of their male colleagues who handle the rough end of society. That culture has been hard to crack and even now women are still in the minority in all forces.
Only in San Jose, California have women made up 50 per cent of the recruits. In most U.S. state forces the number is less than 15 percent with few in the top ranks.

The women's movement demanding entry into all sections of the workforce, and laws against discrimination in the West, have pushed police management to seek more women.

But that's not always easy. The job will remain unpopular until the Neanderthals who can't stand women in the workforce resign. It's tough enough handling lawbreakers let alone the harassment of contemptuous colleagues.

Polda recruits about 80 women a year through two intakes. Around 200 candidates vie for the positions each time, so selectors can be rigid. No doubt all applicants are bobby dazzlers.

Duncan Graham