Policewomen and Matrons

Abstract

The exact role of women in policing has fluctuated significantly in the past hundred years. Early on, women were employed in the male‐dominated occupation of policing as prison matrons, entrusted with the task of guarding juveniles and women inmates. During wartime, policewomen would continue to fulfill stereotypically feminine jobs primarily focused on protection of young girls and the suppression of social evils, including dance halls, liquor sales, and gambling. It was not until women began encroaching on typical male police duties that the debate on the skills and abilities of female officers began. This debate peaked in 1972, with the Civil Rights Act, which unlocked the door to patrol for female officers. In the almost 40 years that have followed, women have made considerable gains in acquiring high ranks and roles within police organizations, despite facing considerable obstacles in integration.