Assessment on the Impacts of Traditional Gender Roles and Expectations on Job of Women Police Officers of Federal Police Commission, Crime Prevention Sector of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
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Date
2019-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The study which was conducted on employees of federal police commission crime prevention
sector was intended to see the representation of female police officers and if at all the traditional
gender roles and expectations have created a negative impact on their representation at the
commission. Moreover, the study intended to see the possible challenges that women police
officers face on their workplace starting from recruitment to that of job advancement once they
are employed. The study also included the different perceptions and attitudes of male police
officers towards their counterpart. There is no research that was done on the possible effects of
gender roles and expectations on female police officers work and their carrier advancement. To
achieve the objectives of the study, qualitative research method was used. So as to understand
the lived experience of women police officers and the different challenges that they have faced in
their workplace, data were collected using in-depth interviews, FGDs, key informant interviews
and review of related different literatures. The data was thematically organized and analyzed by
triangulation of various data sources to increase its reliability and validity. One major finding of
the study is that a major gender gap exists in policing profession as female police officers are
not duly represented and this has been the case for many years. The commission doesn’t have a
discriminatory deployment rule; but the practice shows that female police officers are not able to
do works like patrolling and operational tasks which require physical strength as well as full
time engagement. Women officers are expected to do work at home and this has some effect on
their physical capability and time management. The misrepresentation become even worse as
one goes up on the higher position in the policing hierarchy. Responses of different male police
officers are evident that they are not positive towards the ability and skills of their women
counterparts. This had led them to be resistant and disobedient to the commands and orders of
their counterparts in the event that women police officers are superior in position. The effect of
gender roles and expectations has made female police officers to be double burdened as they
struggle to reconcile their work load with the load they have at home. The findings also show
their burden is more prominent as one got married and has children as the primary care giver is
said to be the mother. And as traditional role shaped female to accept whatever the society
expect them to do and this has led them to prefer an indoor activities, female police officers
prefer to do indoor works than outdoor activities accepting the fact that they are the primary
caregivers in their family. According to the above findings of the study the researcher has
recommended different measures to be taken at organizational level, on personal level and
interpersonal level. One important recommendation is enhancing the capacity of female officers
through trainings and scholarship opportunities. There should exist a sisterhood environment
among female police officers as one who has higher position should inspire others in the lower
position. Male police officers should be given trainings to support their counterparts at the
workplace and to understand female officer’s burden.
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Keywords
Gender roles, Women, Police officers and Challenges