Abstract:

This dissertation explores ethnographic, archival and survey findings related to the Women’s Police Directorate, a separate unit for policewomen in Bahrain, which handles cases involving women and children as victims, witness and offenders. Historically, the segregation of female police has characterized the early development of women in policing in western countries. Most studies of policewomen assume a linear, developmental model in which segregation is a stepping stone on the path to gender integration. However, this assumption has never been tested with Arab or Muslim police forces and thus has not been explored in cultural contexts in which Muslim and Arab constructions of gender may come into play. This research hypothesized that although Bahraini policewomen can be viewed as pioneers, even feminists, in their participation in a traditionally male occupation, their self-perception may not be as radical, nor do they necessarily frame their choice of profession in sociopolitical terms. Although they may have the same career aspirations as their western counterparts, they may prefer to work in a parallel environment to men, out of respect for tradition, and thus limit the likelihood of gender integration. Data were derived from ethnographic observation of Bahrain’s police stations and other divisions where policewomen work, a survey of Bahraini policewomen and archival information. The results suggest that full gender integration of the police in Bahrain is unlikely when considering only policewomen’s perceptions, gleaned during unstructured interviews, of their own careers and the future of their profession. However, these ethnographic findings contrast with the publicly-stated goals of the ruling al-Khalifah family of empowering women in all careers. In addition, some high-ranking male and female police officers and Sunni political leaders seek greater participation of women in public life and seemingly contradict policewomen’s self-perception. As such, this dissertation utilizes a post-colonial theoretical lens in order to come to terms with the conflicting findings, and suggests that western police academic paradigms are insufficient to locate and explain the trends in the intersection of gender and policing in non-western cultural contexts. The findings suggest a two-track policy in which some policewomen remain segregated and other move toward integration in order to satisfy the internal and external demands placed on the Bahraini police.