Females are underrepresented in law enforcement careers worldwide due to it traditionally being a male-dominated field. However, females bring advantages to policing such as an ability to relate to victims of crimes like domestic violence and to investigate situations in conservative cultures where males cannot interact with females. While families and cultures often discourage females from pursuing law enforcement, their representation has been increasing as attitudes change and females gain the confidence and support to enter this career path. With recruitment efforts and females serving as role models, their numbers in policing are expected to continue rising globally.

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Mariela Gonzalez
Susan Lester
Advance Composition
26 September 2011
Females in the Police Officer Work Force
Law enforcement is a field where people don’t see many females working due to the fact
that it is a male dominant career. Not only is the case like that in America, but it is a worldwide
epidemic problem. Females have always been criticized about how men are better at everything
than women. Although time has passed, that problem is declining due to the fact that females are
starting to realize where they stand. Females are now not only joining law enforcement, but
specializing in being a police officer as well. Females have gotten far, but have gone through so
much criticism to get to the position that they are now seen as; how will females be seen in the
future?
Criticizing females is a big issue because females have many advantages to work in this
work force that men do not. In Afghanistan, women have many advantages to investigate people
or places that a man cannot due to the conservative culture they have. Since males cannot go into
another woman’s bedroom, females have the advantage to go search or talk to them alone in a
room. Also, domestic violence is an example of a case that a person would feel more comfortable
talking to a female rather than a male. The issue could also have to do to the fact that a woman is
not to be seen protecting and serving for our safety. A female has always been seen as the stay at
home mom and/or wife. In Afghanistan many women are not in the police officer work force

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since in their culture that is a man’s job, not a women’s. Her job is to take care of the male in the
household providing for her and the family. Many women may not have the support from their
families in Afghanistan, but now that times are different, females go achieve their career, and if
interested in law enforcement and being a police officer, so they will follow that dream! In South
Africa the female representation in law enforcement is the biggest worldwide with 28.6 % in the
force. Many females do not want to be part of the law enforcement work force since they have
late and unspecified hours, continuous exposure to danger, and failing as an ideal homemaker.
However, it is the Government’s responsibility to attract more females in this career. Females
make a better connection with the victim. Knowing that females do bring more to the table than
thought of, armed forces must be reformed and decision making made more gender-friendly.
The problem is impacted in many ways since females do play a large role in law
enforcement. Females are a big help as to getting close to the victim and/or the community.
Females joining the police officer career in Afghanistan have impacted their families since a
woman’s job is to be at home, not on the streets with a gun protecting the country’s citizens.
Ignoring the fact that they are moms and wives, they also have a choice to join this branch.
Mostly not having the encouragement from family, they still play both sides of the spectrum
well. Many family members will not agree with the female’s choice at first, but once they see
that a she is as passionate about the career as a male is, they will then understand that a female is
possible to work in that field and do all that a man does. In America, a female police officer may
be having issues since aggressiveness is a good trait to have and many use aggressive
enforcement right away. In that issue, males are agreeing to the fact that females should use their
force with victims instead, and then trying to talk about it even in a situation where someone else
could get hurt. Studies done in Taiwan showed that, compared to American female police

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officers, Taiwanese female police officers are less likely to favor aggressive enforcement.
Furthermore, policing these days is not only about physical strength, but also communication
skills to maintain peace, law and order. Women have a great advantage in that area since
everyone feels more comfortable talking about sexual harassment, domestic violence, or any
other strong case like that to women rather than a man. As females, women need to follow their
goal, and if policing it is, use the skills in communications skills and all to achieve it as a female.
We now know our capacity to do all we can and achieve all we want. With the strength females
have, they will find the solutions to make the issue of females in law enforcement expand.
The career has been male dominant, but with the research and the study females do, the
numbers of women joining will definitely increase. Departments are now trying to find better
ways to recruit women. Whether putting up a stand at job fairs or flyers letting women know
about the opportunities in law enforcement, female numbers will increase. If a person’s
background is evaluated and she qualifies, she will then go take a written exam and a physical
exam. In the written exam, professional police officers make sure she understands the material
with laws, handbooks, and have good communication skills. The higher her score is, the more
she will be considered for the job. After that, she will then take a physical exam to show them
her strengths and abilities. She may also be sent to a police academy. There she will be trained
for arresting people, seizure procedures, using firearms, and many other tactics needed for the
job. Many career opportunities are available in law enforcement, one just has to do as much as
education as possible, and have a good background. With that, women can do so much better
than males in this work force. Female police officers are also very well since they can be role-
models to little girls and inspire them to join the work force in the future as well. That way the
numbers will increase and discrimination against females in law enforcement won’t be so high.

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A good idea to get ready if interested is to go to a detention center or get someone within the
field to receive information, learn the equipment, and meet female police officers already in the
field. This will help a rookie to make sure that that job is really what they are wanting. Females
should go receive more information and to see what kind of advantages she could receive from
this field. Recruiting females could also depend on where the center is at and who runs it. Good
image women are the ones more eligible for the job since a police officer is one to show a good
image on others. Women can be spectacular leaders not only being police officers, but also in
special operations. Many may not want to be part because if promoted, that could mean moving
to another state or even countries. That would mean leaving behind the normal life style a female
has been used too. That may be the case, but many benefits come with the promotion, so why not
take the opportunity given to you. Lady like women is one-of-a-kind, but one who can be a
police officer and protect their community is worth twice as much.
For many years women have tried to be seen and respected as men are, but never
accomplished it due to the discrimination they get from many people. This could give them the
idea that they are not meant to work as a police officers, but as a stay at home mom and wife. In
the article, Let Women Protect Afghanistan, the author informed that in June of 2010, 1,100 of
107,000 police officers were women. That lets us know that the number right now are kind of
low in the law enforcement field, but it will grow constantly since women are now getting the
chance and being convinced to join the work force. Their culture is used to seeing women at
home taking care of the men providing, but now people are amazed that they are even taking the
chance to chase a career in law enforcement, especially policing. Women are now starting to see
the bigger opportunities that are offered for them and the benefits from it. Women should be
enjoying all the opportunities and changes that she could take and the benefits from all of them.

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She will now help provide for the family more, yet still be the loving mom she was expected to
be in the first place. She does no longer have to stay at home and be that woman that’s only
expected to clean, cook dinner, wash clothes, etc. She will now have the ability to reach her goal
and also be what she wants to be in life. Afghan women have a decision to make based on the
culture and religion they have always been raised by. However, as times go by, females are now
expected to do more than the stay-at-home mom. These ladies have to take the comments by
their friend, family, and even parents that do not always support the decision of joining the
policing work-force. Their culture has only taught them to be the women to do all the chores at
home when instead should be taking all those opportunities in policing since crime is increasing
and they will be a big help to the law enforcement field. In the end, females in the policing field
are growing since they are now willing to take the chance and follow their dream job.
As to the results that have been determined by the studies taken world-wide, females
should be convinced to join the force. They have many advantages being a female in the force
than males do. Some cultures in some countries could have many more benefits, but in all a
women enjoys the job. All a female needs is the encouragement and the self-esteem that she can
do it. Even if the parents do not accept the choice made at first, later they will realize the benefits
and the good decision making that has been mad. A woman has to stand what she believes in no
matter if a male or other relative tries to let her down. Stand up for what you are wanting!