Gender (in)equality in policing: The perception of Montenegrin police officers

Abstract

This paper aims to analyse the Montenegrin police officers’ perception of gender equality. The findings are based on comprehensive empirical research of the perception of both male and female police officers in Montenegro, carried out in May 2020 in the form of an online questionnaire survey, and the collected data was subsequently analysed using statistical methods. The research results have indicated the key challenges faced by women in the Montenegrin police force: the perception that women should primarily perform administrative rather than managerial jobs, insufficient opportunities for career advancement, poor attitudes of executives towards women, and incidents of sexual harassment. The paper also attempts to shed light on a broader social context and the status of women in the police force by demonstrating that the inequality of women in the Montenegrin police force can be attributed at least in part to a deeprooted perception of the traditional patriarchal role of women in the family and in society.

Keywords

• gender equality
• perception
• police officers
• montenegro