Primary socialization as a formation factor of gender stereotypes of professional activity of the security sector employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine

Abstract

The article displayed the results of a legal and sociological study of some gender-related problems in the security sector of theMinistry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine. A survey of employees of the National Police of Ukraine, the National Guard and the State BorderGuard Service revealed the most relevant phenomena of gender inequality and intolerance in the relationship between women andmen within the scope of their official duties and in everyday life. The study proved the absence of a critical state of gender-related problemsin the security sector of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, not only in the everyday life of employees, but also at theplace of execution of official duties. In particular, almost all of the interviewed employees, women and men, support the opinion aboutequal opportunities in professional development, and more than half of the male law enforcement officers believe that women and menwith the same qualifications will cope with their official duties equally well. Also, the majority of respondents feel quite comfortableworking with female colleagues not only at the same level of subordination, but also under the guidance of female colleagues. At thesame time, 40 % of the women surveyed stated that they and their colleagues face certain forms of discrimination within the securitysector. The overwhelming majority of both men and women counteract sexual harassment among workers in the sector, since half ofthe women surveyed reported their experience of sexual harassment or actions of a sexual nature in public places. That’s why, 80.5 %of men and 94.3 % of women among the polled law enforcement officers support the need to adopt a law that would recognize sexualmisconduct or sexual harassment in public places as a crime. In the families of security sector employees, one in five women experiencedphysical violence by a partner, and 10.3 % of men admitted to having committed it. The role of the experience of primary socializationof security sector employees in childhood in the formation of inadequate gender stereotypes is stated. The necessity of implementationof legal, organizational, personnel, psychological and pedagogical measures for the prevention of gender problems in theactivities of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine is substantiated on the basis of an adequate perception of human rights, mutualrespect and tolerance.