Women and policing in the South Pacific: a pathway towards gender-inclusive organizational reform

No Thumbnail Available
File version
Author(s)
Bull, M
Watson, D
Amin, SN
Carrington, K
Griffith University Author(s)
Primary Supervisor
Other Supervisors
Editor(s)
Date
2020
Size
File type(s)
Location
License
Abstract

Scholars have been critical of the gender-biased nature of policing, and its effects on service delivery. They highlight how law enforcement is male-dominated, and how this impacts negatively on women as offenders and victims of crime. Such criticisms have mobilised international and national institutional support for more gender equitable representation in policing agencies. A growing body of research has addressed the impact of increasing the numbers of women police, and how this might lead to more sympathetic and less gender prejudicial policing. This paper reports on a study commissioned by the Tuvalu Police Service that explored public perceptions of service delivery. Our analysis spotlights perceptions about women in policing, attitudes in relation to preferred officer-gender in calls for service and views on increasing the number of women employed as police. The findings identified clear support for increasing the number of women police, but ambiguous sentiments in relation to the types of roles female officers could perform. Closer analysis of qualitative data, however, revealed an appreciation of the strengths of women police who, in a context characterised by regulatory pluralism, were able to address the needs of female victims and offenders in ways that male officers could not.

Journal Title

Police Practice and Research

Conference Title
Book Title
Edition
Volume
Issue
Thesis Type
Degree Program
School
Publisher link
Patent number
Funder(s)
Grant identifier(s)
Rights Statement
Rights Statement
Item Access Status
Note

This publication has been entered in Griffith Research Online as an advanced online version.

Access the data
Related item(s)
Subject

Criminology

Persistent link to this record
Citation

Bull, M; Watson, D; Amin, SN; Carrington, K, Women and policing in the South Pacific: a pathway towards gender-inclusive organizational reform, Police Practice and Research, 2020

Collections