Democratic Policing and Gender Equity in Transitional and Developing Countries.

Democratizing policing must be viewed as part of a larger democratization process in transitional and developing societies. This larger process includes socioeconomic development, reducing ethnic and other forms of conflict, building social capital and other forms of citizen capacity, and integrating human rights and participatory equity in all efforts. This cannot be successful without women playing an equal role with men in all of these efforts, including the establishment and implementation of democratic policing strategies. In this paper the author makes the case for gender equity in participation in democratic policing, assesses the obstacles to participation in democratic policing for women and other marginalized groups, and offers ideas for increasing and enhancing the contribution of women and other marginalized groups in the process. When formulating policy, academics, policy makers, NGOs, and other activists should take into account how policing and crime in general are interrelated with patriarchy, ethnic conflict, socioeconomic development, and democratic institution building. The obstacles to female participation in democratic policing are many and are rooted in the varied patriarchal structures of these societies. Some of these obstacles that need to be overcome include current low levels of female participation in decision-making and the distinct harms women disproportionately suffer from in the areas of crime (domestic violence, rape, etc.), ethnic conflict, employment, education, and health, to name a few. However, as members of a marginalized group, women should share their experiences and knowledge so that effective and equitable forms of democratic policing can be devised and implemented. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]