Casting aside all gender prejudices, IPS officer Anukriti Sharma is changing the perceived image of women police in the minds of the public. The 2020 batch IPS officer of UP cadre has taken many initiatives to let women work in male-dominated sections in the police department. Not allowing any gender barrier to come in the way, she is going all out to ensure that equality prevails in the allotment of duty, and women are not relegated to desk jobs only.
In Bulandshahr, where she is posted, more than 12 women constables ride phantom mobile (police bike) to serve summons in the jurisdiction of their police station. They also give information to rural women on security awareness. To lead by example, Ms. Sharma is learning to ride the bike herself. Apart from this, she organizes boat rally on the Ganges, does street shows with women constables only, and participates in Ram Leela performances and processions with her women team, to spread awareness about women issues. In addition, she has also made it a rule to have all women in-charge of police stations for a day.
Indian Masterminds interacted with Ms. Anukriti Sharma, who is currently ASP and Nodal officer of Mission Shakti in Bulandshahr, UP, to know more about her women-centric initiatives.
PHANTOM MOBILE
Mission Shakti is an integrated women empowerment programme as an umbrella scheme for the safety, security and empowerment of women launched by the Government of India. Phase 4 of this programme is going on in UP currently. Under this mission, IPS officer Anukriti Sharma has taken many initiatives of her own to try and change the general attitude towards women police personnel.
“You will see that women are given the help desk work at the police stations, or to conduct the court statements of victims, and counsel them. Generally, they do not get the work which is given to male constables. Therefore, on most occasions, when the police raid or serves notices, there are no women constables in the lead role. This is what I want to change,” said Ms. Sharma.
To address this issue and to send out a message, she started appointing female police personnel in the male-dominated areas of the police department.
Accordingly, in many police stations of Bulandshahr, she has deployed 12 to 15 women on duty on Phantom mobiles. These women constables ride the bikes, and like their male counterparts, go on raids, serve summons, and play an important role in leading the patrol team. They even play an important role in arresting criminals.
Ms. Sharma said, “How will we tell girls that you are no less than boys unless we show them? Therefore, we have to lead them by example. When we do everything in our department that men do, then a clear message will be sent to all our police stations.”
WOMEN PATROL ON BIKE
Any woman constable who is capable has been allotted bike patrolling duty on Phantom Mobile in in different police stations. And, whoever is willing to learn has been asked to do so, just like Ms. Sharma is learning, so that women constables operate phantom mobiles in all the police stations of the district.
Ms. Sharma said, “It will take some time to change the perception, but it will definitely change. I was afraid to ride a bike, but now, I am learning to ride one. One’s mobility increases a lot with a bike. Hence, it is a necessity.”
CHANGING OF STATUS QUO
Earlier, she had taken up such an initiative during her posting as trainee officer in Lucknow. When she was the SHO of Golf City Police Station in Lucknow, she came to know that earlier, women constables were not given the same kind of work as the male constables. Therefore, she made changes and started giving tasks like summon serving, notice serving to women employees also.
NO WOMEN IN SOG
Ms. Sharma gave the example of SOG (Special Operation Group) to support her stand. “Even now, women are not seen in units like SOG (Special Operation Group) of Uttar Pradesh. It is not that girls cannot do this work or that they are not interested in crime. I am doing everything from surveillance to crime, and many like me want to do the same. But they are confined to women-related work only.”
She rued the fact that half of the talent is not being utilized and said that under Mission Shakti, women now have a chance to show their capabilities. “Currently phase 4 is going on, and we are constantly trying to show that girls are not less than boys in any matter,” she said.
She has also implemented an initiative that allots duty alternately to men and women weekly, so that everyone, irrespective of their gender, is able to do all kinds of work.
रामलीला में बुलन्दशहर महिला पुलिस कर्मियों द्वारा किये गए नुक्कड़ नाटक की कुछ झलकियां। #MissionShakti #uppcares @Uppolice @bulandshahrpol #1090 #WomenEmpowerment pic.twitter.com/zJlN1UjgDT
— Anukriti Sharma, IPS(@ipsanukriti14) October 19, 2023
