Women Police and Discrimination

Women Police and Discrimination

When we as individuals in America think of "freedom" as a whole, most of us assume that we have come a long way since a gap of equality between men and women. And because we have come a long way, many people make the assumption that there is no inequality left in the United States, and women have the same opportunities as men. Yes, we have come a long way, but women are nowhere near equal to men. There are many aspects in life that this is regarded to, ranging from politics, gender roles, marriage, and society as a whole. When children are asked what they want to be when they grow up, little boys are expected to respond with a fireman, policeman, or something along the manly career, while we assume that girls want to be teachers or mommies. And when the answers rarely become vice versa, we pay no attention to it and call it nonsense. However, the same remarks we give to our children are the same as the ones we give when we see females taking on these "manly roles." Research shows that women in the police force face many challenges because they are not taken seriously enough in their profession. Not only do these women have to work twice as hard as men in their careers, but they also have to work that much harder because of the double standard they are forced to face on a daily basis. Women in the Police Force are one of these aspects of life that continue to illustrate the discrimination put on women, simply because of the ignorance of other individuals. It has been a problem that continues to grow, and has been a hot topic of discussion. Scholars and organizations have developed support groups as well as written novels regarding this exact issue. Unless people do something about this p...

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...c violence to the extent that women do, so what greater than having another woman to talk to rather than a man? There are many options that are available in helping the escalation of women in the police force, yet it just needs to be pushed farther with more advocates. A common phrase that women should abide by is: "If you believe in yourself, then others will believe in you too."

1) Hamilton, E. Mary. Police in America. Arno Press & The New York Times. New York, 1971.

2) Heidensohn, Frances. Women in Control? The Role of Women in Law Enforcement. Clarendon Press, Oxford. 1999.

3) "The National Center for Women & Policing." The Feminist Majority Foundation. 9 December 2005. http://www.feminist.org/other/ncwp.asp.

4) "Women in Federal Law Enforcement." 1999-2005. WIFLE. 9 December 2005.