Gender and crime Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Gender and crime - Essay Example This stereotype and discrimination has gone as far as to the criminals who do not consider women cops in the same bracket of authority as male cops and hence undermine their authority as well as openly defy them. This has led to many policewomen contemplating to quit the force (BBC News, 2012). There is widespread failure by policemen to protect women from gender-based violence. Research indicates numerous cases of rapes that either go unsolved, take a long time to solve as well as the rapists having a lower conviction rate as the years advance. This is also the case with domestic violence cases where the voices of the violated women are not heard and the policemen are not doing much about the situation (Guardian, 2010). Maybe the situation can change if women cops are given more authority power and respect to handle such cases. The criminal justice system has the mandate to make policies regarding crimes and criminal behavior and the people it directly affects which in this case are the policemen and policewomen. The justice system should enforce the policies that are related to equal jobs distribution and upholding of ethics of conduct for both men and women officers serving in the police force. If there are no existing policies on the issue, they should formulate and pass such a policy (Barton & Johns, 2013). This will ensure to protect the women officers from discrimination and harassment in the workplace as well as provide them with equality status and respect from the fellow officer and the criminals as well as to all the civilians. On the issue of domestic violence and rape cases conviction cases, the criminal justice system should enhance its policies on conviction from the moment of investigation to the prosecution. It is the slow process of investigation that leads to destruction of evidence which is crucial in these cases. The