All-Women Police Stations in India Don't Improve Women's Justice Access — They Create New Problems

The debate around all-women police stations (AWPS) and women's access to justice continues. This article examines the impact of AWPS on Indian law enforcement outcomes, specifically testing whether they help address gender-based violence.

Data & Methods:

I created an original dataset from Indian police reports focusing on Haryana state where AWPS were implemented. Using a quasi-experimental design that leveraged staggered openings of these stations, I estimated their causal effects.

Key findings show unexpected results:

• Registered Crime Rates: Contrary to expectations, the creation of AWPS does not increase overall registered crime rates.

• Caseload Impact: Instead of boosting efficiency or access specifically for women's cases, evidence suggests these stations may actually lower caseloads at standard police stations by providing an alternative reporting venue.

• Victim Burden & Officer Focus: AWPS appear to increase travel costs for victims seeking justice and potentially shift the focus of female officers away from formal legal processes (like arrests).

• Reconciliation Emphasis: There's evidence that these stations institutionalize a form of 'counseling' that encourages reconciliation with abusers, sometimes at the expense of pursuing formal arrest procedures.

Implications:

Survey responses suggest AWPS might not improve perceptions of female officers. This points to potential unintended consequences: while intended as gender-specific institutions ('enclaves'), they may inadvertently create separate systems without effectively enhancing women's access or outcomes in justice processes.

The analysis suggests that institutional separation like AWPS does little to fundamentally improve women's access to justice and may even introduce new barriers.