Women in police boost trust and crime reporting: IIT Madras study

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A new study led by IIT Madras says this low number of women in India’s police force is holding back effective responses to gender-based crimes (GBC). Women make up only 11.75% of India's police forces, according to 2022 data from the Bureau of Police Research and Development.

The study was led by professor Kandaswamy Paramasivan, along with co-authors from TA Pai Management Institute Bengaluru, IIM Lucknow, and SRM Institute of Science and Technology. The study was published in the peer-reviewed journal Systems Research and Behavioral Science.

This qualitative study was based on Focus-group discussions (FGD) held, with 25 participants including serving and retired IPS officers, constabularies, criminologists, social workers and lawyers, across India. Participants represented 11 Indian states, with the largest share from Tamil Nadu. Of the 25 participants, 17 were men and eight were women.

The study found that victims of gender-based crimes are more likely to report to female officers because of a shared in-group identity with women officers, which creates a sense of psychological comfort and emotional safety.

However, the study points to what researchers call an Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) paradox.  Greater female representation in policing boosts reporting rates, but it also pushes officers toward informal mediation instead of registering formal criminal cases.

Women officers often prioritise reconciliation and encourage victims to return to their marital homes over initiating formal legal proceedings through an First Information Report (FIR). Researchers describe this as a symptomatic solution. This means cases never reach prosecution, which can encourage repeat offenders.

It can also create a false impression that crime rate is falling, when in reality it is simply not being recorded.

At the same time, the study finds that the presence of women police personnel improves the internal subculture of police stations, with male colleagues being less abusive and more professional as more women join the force.

Professor Kandaswamy Paramasivan, a retired IPS officer, who led the study, said, “Increasing women's numbers only at the constabulary level is not enough to fight gender-based crimes.”

He explained that this pattern does not show up in the data because such officers rarely have the standing to push back against the trend toward informal resolution.

He also noted that men and women are equally tech-savvy and skilled professionally. In some states like Tamil Nadu, women are able to participate in the labour force largely.

“A wider participation of women in law and order, across the various parts of the country are important to study,” he added. 

The study recommends moving more women into senior leadership and investigative roles rather than confining them to desk jobs, along with independent crime audits, mandatory sensitivity training, and modernising police recruitment away from a “hyper-masculine crime-fighter” model.

This article was written by a student interning with TNM.