Gender Inequality In Law Enforcement

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The area of gender inequality has been widespread in our society since the inception of humanity. Gender inequality is a socially constructed issue which stems from the hierarchy men have had over women for centuries. The similar problem is still is dominant in the field of law enforcement where women are far underrepresented compared to men, and this paper will examine the history, statistics, gender roles and philosophical perspectives behind the underrepresentation of women in law enforcement. However many police departments across the country have gradually begun to intergrade more diversity, inclusivity and gender equality programs to balance the issue of gender inequality better. The history of policing in Canada is relatively extensive …show more content…

As children grow up, gender roles are enforced upon them by different agents of socialization such as teachers, parents and other authority figures in the attempts to define an ideal women whom is easy to please and not assertive resulting girls to develop a lower self-esteem compared to boys (Robert Brym, 2018, p. 53). Which can make women in the workplace dominated by men more vulnerable to verbal or sexual harassment (Robert Brym, 2018, p. 174). Further supporting male superiority in policing encourages the rate of sexual harassment against women. A study published in the journal of occupational health psychology found about 64% of policewomen have experienced sexual harassment at least once in their career from their peers, the women reported most common types of harassments were offensive remarks and comments about their bodies or appearance (Stans de Haas, 2009, p. 7). A recent survey of 4000 police officers in Canada found the stress of work-life balance is more substantial on policewomen than it is on male police officers. The findings were published in Women and policing in Canada and concluded male officer often lived in a home where the primary duties for child care were devoted to their partners, but …show more content…

These include the historical treatment of women combined with the current statistics and gender roles which are asserted through theoretical perspective. Many police departments have recognized the issue related gender in their departments and have constructed policies and hiring practices to reverse the effects of gender