WOMEN IN THE POLICE: SERBIA, MONTENEGRO, AND BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

Marta Tomić; Marija Mićović

doi:10.51738/kpolisa.2025.1r.009

Authors

Marta Tomić University of Criminal Investigation and Police Studies, Belgrade, Serbia https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1023-2895
Marija Mićović University of Criminal Investigation and Police Studies, Belgrade, Serbia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6250-0276

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51738/kpolisa.2025.1r.009

Keywords:

gender division of labor, hegemonic masculinity, women, police, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro

Abstract

We analyzed the status of women in the police organization through the gender division of labor and hegemonic masculinity in order to show as clearly as possible what prevents women from integrating into this profession in the same way as men. The police maintain hegemonic masculinity through the use of authority, the glorification of the use of force, and the subordination of women. The gender division of jobs in the police profession is carried out in such a way that women are assigned jobs that are typically female (administration, administrative jobs, juvenile delinquency jobs, counter jobs, etc.). The authors used the method of selecting available literature and databases on women in the police in three countries: Serbia, Montenegro, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The data in this text refer to Serbia and two neighboring countries: Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The police of Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro have very similar data on the proportion of women in their services, and on average they are less than a quarter. There is an internal informal division into "female" and "male" jobs. "Women's jobs" include legal, financial, analytical jobs, then jobs related to human resources management, communication, as well as logistics support jobs, since the majority of women are in the financial sector, the human resources sector and joint jobs, administrative jobs, etc. Women are still most represented in the lowest police ranks. Other barriers include gender discrimination and harassment, male-dominated selection boards (when it comes to hiring and promotion), and working conditions that are unfavorable to family and parental responsibilities.

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