A tale of two genders : institutional sexism in the Maltese Police Force

Abstract

The aim of this research is to address the lack of literature on policing in Malta, particularly that related to discrimination on the basis of gender. It has been argued, that policewomen were not suited for police work due to their emotional temperament and nurturing mother image (police authorities as reported in the local press of Friday, 11th February, 2011). Others have argued that women may not make good police officers because they lack the necessary physical endurance and agility (Block, 1974). This study presents the opinions of the fifteen policemen and fifteen policewomen interviewed - as regards gender issues in the Malta police force. Most of the police officers interviewed, irrespective of gender, stated that they felt ignored by the Malta police force. Some policewomen actually argued in a sexist manner towards "other" policewomen who did not perform as well as "others", claiming that some policewomen lacked self-confidence and did not even consider themselves as law enforcement officers. This implied that, sexism could be so ingrained that, even policewomen themselves believe that they cannot perform the same role as their male colleagues. Many police officers, irrespective of gender, felt unappreciated. On the positive side, findings indicate that, in the Malta police force, recruitment and promotion opportunities were equally accessible for everyone, strongly opposing Ford and Newburn (2005) who argued that sexism is present in police forces all over the globe. This research attempts to shed light on a topic scarcely studied in the Maltese context, with the primary intention of encouraging future researchers to use this study as a platform for forthcoming investigations.