Gender dynamics in policing: assessing the impact of gender on law enforcement practices in Bangladesh

Abstract

Gendered norms in Bangladesh policing shape task allocation, legitimacy, and advancement, with consequences for operational effectiveness and public trust. This study examines how gender structures everyday practice, public legitimacy, emotional labour, and leadership pathways for women officers, and identifies actionable reforms. An interpretivist qualitative study using semi-structured, bilingual interviews with 26 female officers (Constable to Superintendent of Police) and six key informants from urban and peri-urban units. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analysed via reflexive thematic analysis; coding was iterative with memoing and constant comparison in NVivo, and reporting followed COREQ guidance. Five interlocking mechanisms emerged. First, rank-linked disadvantage channels junior women into low-status clerical or ‘women/children' cases and sustains symbolic inclusion with procedural exclusion at senior levels. Second, legitimacy frictions redirect citizen deference to male colleagues, weakening women’s de facto command and procedural justice. Third, sustained emotional labour—amplified by stigma and scarce confidential supports—produces strain, sleep disturbance, and burnout. Fourth, mobility bottlenecks arise from opaque promotion criteria, networked gatekeeping, thin mentorship/sponsorship, and weak post-training placement alignment. Fifth, portfolio bias restricts access to raids and frontline command while undervaluing prosecution, coordination, and prevention outcomes. Gender equity gaps are embedded less in headcounts than in how work is organized, evaluated, and rewarded.