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Hannah Luke Instructor: Malcolm Campbell English 1103 14 September 2012 Topic Proposal: Working in a Mans World Introduction/Overview During the course of the semester I will be examining the role of women in the field of law enforcement. It is a proven fact that women have struggled to find their place in a field dominated by men. They are not viewed as equals capable of bringing another point of view and set of skills to a developing field. Stereotypes that characterize females as a weaker sex, both physically and emotionally, have stunted growth in the United States criminal justice system. Over time females have often been forced to go as far as creating positions that allow them to stake their claim amongst police officers. Rose Fortune, a woman born in 1774 as a slave, escaped to Canada and appointed herself the first policewoman in Nova Scotia. Fortune is considered to be the worlds first woman in law enforcement. Abby Hopper Gibbons, Kate Warne, Marie Owens, and countless others are the reasons women work in the criminal justice system today. Each of them is credited with impacting the world of law enforcement with their revolutionary ideas and dedication to making room for women in all aspects of corrections and police work. In my preliminary research I visited numerous websites including: www.wifle.org, www.nawlee.com, www.bjs.gov, and www.cmpd.org. WIFLE, or Women in Federal Law Enforcement, is an organization dedicated to spreading awareness for issues women face in the field of law enforcement. The organization assists agencies in recruiting female officers,

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identifying barriers to hiring, promoting, and retaining women agents, and enhancing the image of law enforcement as a field open to both men and women. According to Sergeant Betsy Branter Smith, a 30-year law enforcement veteran and subject matter expert for PoliceOne.com, misguided attempt[s] to treat everyone equally results in unattainable goals and impossible expectations. A standard that women must act like men creates a third sex where females must hide their femininity, resulting in resentment in the workplace. Women and men are different. They communicate, work, lead, and fight differently, but that does not mean one supersedes the other. By taking advantage of the differences, law enforcement agencies have the potential to create the strongest police forces the United States has ever seen. According to Branter, gender intelligence is the key to equality amongst males and females. In another article titled Ending Stereotypes Requires a Beginning by June Werdlow Rogers, PhD, one womans misstep inevitably enforces and encourages a stereotype that unfortunately exists. There is a double standard between men and women. Recently a weapon belonging to a federal law enforcement officer was found left unattended in a restroom stall at Detroit Metro Airport. The Transportation Security Administration refuses to release whether the firearm was found in a men or womens lavatory. The sad truth that if, in fact, a woman had left the weapon in the stall people everywhere would have made a much bigger deal of the situation, stating that the incident proves how females have no business in law enforcement. In todays society, female officers are constantly under a ruthless magnifying glass. If one woman makes a mistake, we all get burned. There is a lot of debate over whether men and women are truly equal in the field of law enforcement. Older generations have a tendency to see women as fragile, subordinate creatures wearing aprons rather than bulletproof vests. Today the idea of women standing beside their

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male counterparts in uniform is more acceptable, but chauvinistic ideals still rein their ugly heads frequently. It takes a unique woman to want to work in the criminal justice system, but the same can be said for men. The truth is, law enforcement is a stressful line of work whether you are a man or woman and the unfair stereotypes against women create unnecessary strain in an already taxing field. Initial Inquiry Question Do women have to work harder to prove themselves worthy of positions, promotions and respect in law enforcement? My Interest in this Topic I am interested in the topic of women in law enforcement because I am a female interested in becoming a police officer when I graduate from college. I know that men and women think and act differently. When I was in JROTC (a military based organization) in high school, I constantly had to prove that I could keep up with the boys. Guys always thought that because I was a girl with a more relaxed leadership style that was their invitation to disrespect my position in the company. I have had first hand experience with the stereotypes women face in male dominated environments. I want to understand why those judgments exist. A lot of women become discouraged by unfair stereotypes, but I believe if I can research and discover why people view women in fields such as law enforcement as weaker, I can educate myself on all the reasons why those stereotypes are false. By arming myself with information that validates my opinions I am mentally more prepared to face discrimination and possibly encourage others to become more informed as well. I want to help break the cycle and prove that women are capable of being successful and respected leaders.

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Next Steps My next steps for acquiring research on my topic will be visiting UNCCs library to find articles about successful women in the criminal justice system, psychological evidence for why stereotypes are present, and evidence that proves how women are just as effective as men in law enforcement. My goal is to find as many peer-reviewed sources and statistics that I can to support my topic. I am also planning on interviewing female officers from different law enforcement agencies to gain their insight on what challenges women face today. Other questions I am curious about are: Are men and women more effective in law enforcement if they are paired together? Is there a difference in the caliber of work produced my male and female police officers? What are the fundamental differences in how women deal with criminals compared to how men approach situations? The questions are endless and I intend to perform plenty of research in an attempt to answer as many as possible.