Women Officers Research Articles

Survivor Health Connection Project: Understanding Experiences of Accessing Health Care Among Those Affected by Intimate Partner Violence During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Objectives: Intimate partner violence (IPV) has short- and long-term health effects, including physical injuries and traumatic brain injury, as well as sexual, reproductive, and mental health issues. However, accessing necessary health care is often challenging for IPV survivors and became even more difficult during the COVID-19 pandemic. We examined access to health care among those affected by IPV during the COVID-19 pandemic to better connect survivors to health and social support services. Methods: The Health Resources and Services Administration’s Office of Women’s Health partnered with its Bureau of Primary Health Care, the Administration for Children and Families’ Office of Family Violence Prevention and Services, and the National Domestic Violence Hotline (Hotline) on the 2-year Survivor Health Connection Project. The Hotline administered 2 surveys to its contacts: a 2-question postinteraction survey from March 29, 2021, through September 30, 2022, and a longer focused survey in 2021 and 2022 that measured barriers and restrictions to accessing health care, telehealth safety, and interactions with health care providers. Results: Of 9918 respondents to the postinteraction survey, 6173 (62.2%) reported current health needs related to their abusive experience. Nearly half of 242 respondents to the 2021 survey (n = 106, 43.8%) indicated that the frequency or intensity of abuse increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, and 157 of 338 respondents to the 2022 survey (46.4%) reported that their partner had controlled and/or restricted their access to health care. Participants described barriers to accessing health care, including finances, health insurance coverage, and transportation. Conclusions: Findings illuminate opportunities to further support the health and social needs of those experiencing IPV, including continued coordination of efforts across health care and social service delivery partners.

Creating an Environment Free from Sexual Violence Against Women and Children Within the Cultural Values of Mitawe in West Sulawesi

This research aims to create an environment free from sexual violence against women and children in West Sulawesi Province through the application of Mitawe cultural values. The Mitawe culture, which emphasizes politeness, respect, and dignity, is seen as an important tool in preventing sexual violence within the Mandar community. The research method used is empirical law, involving observation, in-depth interviews with traditional leaders and community leaders, as well as document analysis from the Office of Women's Empowerment, Child Protection, Population Control, and Family Planning (DP3AP2KB) of West Sulawesi Province. The research findings show that Mitawe values can be effectively integrated into sexual violence prevention programs through various interventions carried out in local communities. The implementation of these values has successfully raised public awareness about the importance of respecting the rights of women and children, as well as reducing the incidence of sexual violence in several districts. Moreover, collaboration with DP3AP2KB has enabled the implementation of more structured and sustainable prevention strategies, including training for victim advocates and public awareness campaigns. This research also found that strengthening local cultural values, such as Mitawe, can be an effective approach in creating a safer society free from sexual violence. These findings provide a foundation for developing more inclusive and culturally sensitive policies in the effort to protect women and children in West Sulawesi.

Analisis Perlindungan Hukum Terhadap Anak Korban Kekerasan Seksual di Dinas Pemberdayaan Perempuan dan Perlindungan Anak Kota Tanjungbalai

The aim of this research is to find out how the Office of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection has attempted to implement legal protection in accordance with Law Number 35 of 2014 concerning Amendments to Law Number 23 of 2002 concerning Child Protection against cases of sexual violence against children, as well as to find out efforts made by the Tanjung Balai City Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Service to help child victims of sexual violence. This research was conducted at the Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Service in Tanjungbalai City, North Sumatra. The method used in this research is a qualitative descriptive research method. The qualitative descriptive method has the main characteristics, namely conducting research involving direct involvement in the field, acting as an observer, creating categories of actors, observing phenomena, recording them in an observation book, not manipulating variables, and focusing on scientific observation. The data collection technique used to obtain data is through interviews and documentation. The results of this research found that the efforts of the Tanjung Balai City Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Department have been running optimally, in accordance with Law Number 35 of 2014 concerning Amendments to Law Number 23 of 2002 concerning Child Protection against cases of sexual violence against children. The form of legal protection used is in the form of preventive and repressive legal protection. One of the programs being implemented is synchronizing and coordinating the prevention of violence against children, which is expected to reduce the number of cases of sexual violence against children in Tajung Balai City.

The Influence of Empowerment Leadership on Proactive Behavior of Employees With Goal Orientation as a Mediation Variable at the Women's Empowerment Office, Protection Children and the People of Binjai City

A deep understanding of the relationship between empowering leadership styles, goal orientation, and proactive behavior of employees can be key to optimizing organizational performance in addressing sensitive issues related to women, children, and society more effectively. The purpose of this study is to find out and analyze the influence of Empowerment leadership on Proactive Behavior mediated by the Orientation of the purpose at the Office of Women's Empowerment, Child Protection and Community of Binjai City. This research was conducted with a causal associative quantitative approach. The sample used was all employees, with a total of 61 people. The results of data analysis using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) based on Partial Least Square (PLS) show that 1) There is no influence of Empowerment Leadership on proactive behavior. where the T-statistic value is 0.960 < 1.96 and the P-Value value is 0.341 > 0.05. 2) Empowerment Leadership has a positive and significant effect on goal orientation with a T-Statistical value of 2.256 > 1.96 and a P-Value of 0.028 < 0.05 which means that if the leadership Empowerment is improved, then employee goal orientation will increase.3) Empowerment Leadership has a positive and significant effect on goal orientation with a T-Statistical value of 2.256 > 1.96 and a P-Value value of 0.028 < 0.05 which means that if Empowerment leadership is improved, employee goal orientation will increase and 4) Goal orientation is able to mediate the influence between Empowerment Leadership and Proactive Behavior with a T-Statistic value of 2.300 > 1.96 and a P-Value of 0.025 < 0.05. The implication of these findings is that management needs to consider implementing appropriate goal-oriented development strategies, along with empowerment leadership practices, to create a work environment that supports and encourages productive and innovative proactive behaviorsLeadership Empowerment

The Influence of Employee Competencies on Increasing Women's Empowerment Through Programs Training at the Empowerment Office Women, Child Protection and Community (Dp3am) Binjai City

Employee knowledge or competence will increase employee motivation in participating in training and employee performance. The purpose of this study is to find out and analyze the influence of Competence on Performance mediated by Training at the Office of Women's Empowerment, Child Protection and Community Protection (DP3AM) Binjai City. This research was conducted with a causal associative quantitative approach. The sample used was all employees with a total of 61 people. The results of data analysis using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) based on Partial Least Square (PLS) showed that Competence had a significant influence on employee performance (T-statistic 2,567 > 1.96; P-value 0.011 < 0.05), which indicates that improving Competency directly improves employee performance. Competence also had a positive and significant effect on Training (T-statistic 9.042 > 1.96; P-value 0.000 < 0.05), indicating that the improvement of Competency significantly increases employee training. Furthermore, training had a positive and significant effect on Performance (T-statistic 6,091 > 1.96; P-value 0.000 < 0.05), which means that the increase in Training significantly improves Performance. Indirect influence analysis showed that Training was able to intervene in the influence between Competence and Performance (T-statistic 5.974 > 1.96; P-value 0.000 < 0.05). These findings provide insight that Training plays a significant mediator role in the relationship between Competency and Performance, emphasizing the importance of Training in improving employee Performance.

Household Economic Empowerment by the Office of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection (Study in Somba Opu Sub-District, Gowa Regency)

Household Economic Empowerment by the Office of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection (Study in Somba Opu Sub-District, Gowa Regency)

Challenges Faced by Women Officers as They Pursue Promotions

Written survey responses from 226 women police officers from the U.S. were analyzed to identify challenges women face in the police promotions process. Participants identified six challenges. The top responses were: (1) gender bias among the decision makers, (2) cronyism (i.e., the promotion of friends or associates), and (3) doubt in women’s policing abilities. Police agencies looking to diversify their upper ranks must simultaneously pursue an objective promotions process and reflect on how male-dominated organizational cultures can spill into promotions decisions to disadvantage women.

Regional Government Policy in the Implementation of Child-Friendly City: An Analysis of Way Kanan District

The child-friendly city concept implementation in Way Kanan City is intended to fulfill the needs of children's rights there. This paper aims to contribute to policymakers’ implementation of child-friendly cities, especially in developing countries, by analyzing how child-friendly cities are implemented and the challenges faced. This article was created using socio-legal research methods. The results of this study show that the implementation is carried out by the Office of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection through several stages, namely, KLA development planning in the form of preparing Regional Action Plans, then implementing KLA development in the form of KLA programs’ implementation by involving all resources and implementing child-friendly school programs as well as monitoring and evaluating KLA development regularly. Implementation constraints come from internal factors. Challenges include limited human resources and an inability to understand women's empowerment and child protection issues, which affect socialization. Public facilities also need improvement to meet child-friendly standards. Meanwhile, technical coordination issues and misunderstandings about the KLA program's purpose arise due to external factors. Societal attitudes towards violence as education hinder program implementation. The suggestion for this research is to improve coordination between stakeholders or increase cooperation with partners to overcome problems regarding the lack of human resources, increase the budget and optimize the implementation of child-friendly city efforts.

A Hidden Barrier to Diversification? Performance Recognition Penalties for Incumbent Workers in Male-Dominated Occupations

Responding to persistent gender inequity, organizations have adopted diversity initiatives to promote women’s representation in traditionally male-dominated occupations. Although studies have identified challenges to these initiatives for women entering occupations, we uncover a performance recognition penalty for incumbent workers originating from the process of occupational diversification. As women incrementally enter a male-dominated occupation, a conflict arises between the changing gender composition at the work-unit level and the masculine “ideal worker” prototype embedded in the occupation. We propose that this conflict will lower the performance expectations of the work unit, decreasing the individual likelihood of performance recognition for each worker in the unit. Using detailed panel data on police officers, we found that an officer’s individual likelihood of being nominated for a performance award consistently declined when their police unit proportionately increased in women officers. Both men and women managers enacted this penalty, with men managers penalizing men subordinates more than women subordinates. This pattern remained for awards recognizing exceptional performance, regardless of gender-typing of the unit or its work tasks, and considering officer tenure and attrition from the unit. Our findings offer novel insights into the challenge of diversifying male-dominated occupations.

Analysis of the Influence of Organizational Culture on Employee Performance Through Job Satisfaction (Study on DP3AKB Pasuruan City)

This study used a saturated sampling or census technique to examine job satisfaction as a mediating influence of organizational culture on employee performance at the Office of Women's Empowerment, Child Protection and Family Planning (DP3AKB) in Pasuruan City. Path analysis (Path Analysis) is a data analysis approach. According to the study's findings, employee performance and job satisfaction are positively correlated with organizational culture, with job satisfaction acting as a mediating factor in this relationship. The leadership of Pasuruan City's Office of Women's Empowerment, Child Protection, and Family Planning (DP3AKB) must follow scientific and technological advancements and pay attention to employee satisfaction in order to establish a positive organizational culture and increase employee performance. Workers must be highly driven in order for them to appreciate working with coworkers who support one another in completing tasks and who exhibit high levels of work motivation.

Evaluating an Enterprise-Wide Initiative to enhance healthcare coordination for rural women Veterans using the RE-AIM framework.

The Veterans Health Administration (VA) Office of Rural Health (ORH) and Office of Women's Health Services (OWH) in FY21 launched a three-year Enterprise-Wide Initiative (EWI) to expand access to preventive care for rural, women Veterans. Through this program, women's health care coordinators (WHCC) were funded to coordinate mammography, cervical cancer screening and maternity care for women Veterans at selected VA facilities. We conducted a mixed-methods evaluation using the RE-AIM framework to assess the program implementation. We collected quantitative data from the 14 program facilities on reach (i.e., Veterans served by the program), effectiveness (e.g., cancer screening compliance, communication), adoption, and maintenance of women's health care coordinators (WHCC) in FY2022. Implementation of the program was examined through semi-structured interviews with the facility WHCC funding initiator (e.g., the point of contact at facility who initiated the request for WHCC funding), WHCCs, and providers. Reach. The number of women Veterans and rural women Veterans served by the WHCC program grew (by 50% and 117% respectively). The program demonstrated effectiveness as screening rates increased for cervical and breast cancer screening (+0.9% and +.01%, respectively). Also, maternity care coordination phone encounters with Veterans grew 36%. Adoption: All facilities implemented care coordinators by quarter two of FY22. Implementation. Qualitative findings revealed facilitators and barriers to successful program implementation and care coordination. Maintenance: The EWI facilitated the recruitment and retention of WHCCs at respective VA facilities over time. In rural areas, WHCCs can play a critical role in increasing Reach and effectiveness. The EWI demonstrated to be a successful care coordination model that can be feasibly Adopted, Implemented, and Maintained at rural VA facilities.

Implementation of Civil Servant Discipline Policy in The Office of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Of Minahasa Regency

Discipline for employees who work for the Government, namely Civil Servants, absolutely requires regulations regarding discipline which serve as guidelines for disciplining employees. Disciplinary Regulations create order in the work environment to encourage employees to compete in improving performance to be more productive in order to realize the implementation of government and development tasks. The aim of this research is to find out, analyze, and describe the implementation of the Civil Servant Discipline Policy in the Minahasa Regency Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Service based on PP Number 94 of 2021 concerning Civil Servant Discipline. This research uses a descriptive qualitative method with data collection techniques, namely observation, interviews, and documentation, with data analysis techniques and drawing conclusions. The research results show that the work discipline of civil servants in the Minahasa Regency Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Service is not yet optimal because there are still employees who violate the rules in accordance with the applicable regulations regarding the limits on starting and leaving office hours. There are employees who still do not understand the Job Desk in accordance with the Main Duties and Functions, procrastinate on the work they are given, and there is a lack of sanctions given by their superiors. Factors that hinder civil servant discipline are leadership factors and factors from the employees themselves in the form of employee quality and mentality and lack of socialization of the implementation of these government regulations.

Ask the women in blue: Female officers’ thoughts on the recruitment and retention of women in policing

Abstract Women bring many benefits to policing but represent only 14% of sworn police in the United States. Researchers have examined different recruitment strategies, yet few have sought insight from women officers themselves. We explored women officers’ perspectives on recruiting and retaining more women in policing. Using semi-structured interviews, we asked 40 current and retired women officers how police agencies can better target women to increase their representation. Responses were analyzed using open coding techniques. Participants noted difficulty hiring amid a larger police staffing crisis. They also discussed the structure and culture of police work as barriers to the recruitment and retention of women and suggested outreach and mentorship as strategies to increase integration. These findings have policy and practice implications related to increasing the integration and entrance of women in policing.

‘As a Black woman, there’s no winning in law enforcement’: Black women’s experiences in policing

Abstract Studies examining the experiences of Black officers often negate gendered nuances. In this qualitative study, we draw upon the lived experiences of Black women employed at a mid-sized police agency in Virginia. Between August 2021 and March 2022, in-depth interviews were conducted with Black women across ranks to learn about how their identity as Black women impacted their social environment at work. Thematic findings reflected the impact that the lack of representation had on Black women officers, the self-reported victories and downfalls associated with Black women achieving rank, and the presence of tokenism, primarily seen in these women’s interactions with other peers. Policy and practical implications are discussed.

Women police, legitimacy, and ethics of care

Abstract Calls for more women in policing are often associated with pleas to reform the police, operating under the assumption that women police differently than men and that increasing gender diversity in law enforcement agencies may be a catalyst for organizational change. These assertions are intertwined with attitudes related to how women exercise social control and beliefs about how policing would change if the virtues associated with a feminist ethics of care approach were elevated in the institution. Structural equation modelling was used with a sample of more than 16,000 community members from over 50 jurisdictions to explore research questions related to care ethics. The results show that attentiveness, responsiveness, compassion, and helping represent an underlying construct of care, which is strongly associated with community members’ satisfaction and their broader perceptions of the legitimacy of the police. The results also show that women officers demonstrate more care than men officers and that community members who are People of Color experience less care compared with White residents. Overall, the findings indicate that rethinking police responsibilities from a care perspective is a viable option for improving police–community relations and building legitimacy, particularly in marginalized communities.

JOB STRESS AMONG POLICE OFFICERS IN BANGLADESH: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY ON RANGPUR METROPOLITAN POLICE

This study explores the stress experienced by police officers in the Rangpur Metropolitan Police of Bangladesh, with a focus on gender differences. A total of 55 officers took part in the study, including 36 males and 19 females. The study not only sheds light on the prevailing challenges but also suggests practical strategies and interventions to mitigate job stress among Rangpur Metropolitan Police officers. It turned out that male and female officers had different types of stressors. Male officers felt more stressed when dealing with organizational issues, like having to go to court on their day off or after a night shift. On the other hand, female officers reported higher stress levels when facing interpersonal challenges, such as dealing with family conflicts and crisis situations. Interestingly, women officers reported dealing with family conflicts and crisis situations more frequently than men. Women officers encountered inadequate or poor-quality equipment than men. This suggests that gender differences play a role in the kind of stressors experienced in the police force.

‘Sunderland Has Lost a Figure That Will Go Down in History’: Marion Phillips in the North East of England, 1923–1932

Selected as the Labour Party’s chief woman officer in 1918, Dr Marion Phillips played a prominent role in the British labour women’s movement before, during and after the Great War. However, her brief stint as Labour MP for Sunderland between 1929 and 1931 has not attracted the same level of academic attention as the parliamentary careers of other early women MPs. Phillips’s connection to the North East of England throughout the 1920s illuminates her work as chief woman officer, as well as the prominence of the labour women’s movement in the region. This article focuses on Phillips’s relationship with the labour movement in County Durham to understand how she was selected as a parliamentary candidate for Sunderland. The annual women’s gala, first held in June 1923, and the Women’s Committee for the Relief of Miners’ Wives and Children formed in response to the 1926 General Strike, are crucial to understanding her early connections to the region. Phillips’s sudden death in early 1932 led to a wave of local and national commemorations demonstrating the legacy of her political work.

Policy Triangle Analysis of Stunting Issues in Urban Areas: A Case Study of Yogyakarta City

Stunting reduction is one of Indonesia’s major projects. While one-size-fits-all regulations were no longer promoted, understanding the characteristics of each region imposed a strong policy foundation. Many studies had been conducted in rural areas, but the analysis of urban areas was scarce. A study was conducted in Yogyakarta City to understand the characteristics of stunting intervention, despite the high human development index, education level, and access to health facilities. This made it important to examine the characteristics of stunting reduction efforts, based on the analysis of the contents, contexts, processes, and actors involved, in Yogyakarta City, to help with its ambition for zero stunting. A desk review and focus group discussion were conducted involving four local government staff, consisting of the Regional Planning and Development Agency, Health Office, and Office of Women's Empowerment, Child Protection, and Population Control and Family Planning, which were elaborated with literature following the policy triangle framework. A total of 13 open-access official documents and dashboards were obtained for analysis. Decrees from the local government showed a strong commitment to ending malnutrition. While most intervention packages were similar to those across Indonesia, targeted interventions for specific subjects were needed to support people who were unable to be covered by general services. Furthermore, Yogyakarta City has smaller open spaces than other districts in the province, a contradictory low nutrition awareness despite high school participation, and other factors were cross-linked with its culture in the community, implementer, to the authority levels. Stunting reduction programs were multisectoral, involving not only government offices but also non-government, mass media, community, private sectors, and academia. This study is expected to provide lessons learned for decision-makers, private sectors, academia, and public health practitioners to implement good collaboration in stunting reduction efforts.

Strategi penanganan korban kekerasan seksual pada perempuan oleh Dinas Pemberdayaan Perempuan, Perlindungan Anak, Pengendalian Penduduk dan Keluarga Berencana Kabupaten Karanganyar

This study aims to analyze: 1) What is the strategy for handling victims of sexual violence against women by the Office of Women's Empowerment, Child Protection, Population Control and Family Planning, Karanganyar Regency. 2) What are the problems encountered in handling victims of sexual violence against women and the solutions. In this study using qualitative research methods. In this study the results were found: 1) strategies for handling victims of sexual violence against women by the Office of Women's Empowerment, Child Protection, Population Control and Family Planning in Karanganyar Regency, namely (1) receiving reports, (2) outreach to victims, (3) case processing, ( 4) mediation, (5) medical, psychological, legal assistance, (6) psychological and trauma recovery. 2) The problems encountered in handling victims of sexual violence against women and their solutions are (1) lack of companion staff, namely by engaging other institutions that have the same goals, (2) victims who are not open, overcome with refreshing minds, (3) families who lack cooperative given an understanding, (4) the lack of understanding of the community about the agency that handles cases of sexual violence, overcome by conducting socialization.

Using the Matrixed Multiple Case Study approach to identify factors affecting the uptake of IPV screening programs following the use of implementation facilitation

BackgroundIntimate partner violence (IPV) is a prevalent social determinant of health. The US Preventive Services Task Force recommends routine IPV screening of women, but uptake remains variable. The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) initiated implementation facilitation (IF) to support integration of IPV screening programs into primary care clinics. An evaluation of IF efforts showed variability in IPV screening rates across sites. The follow-up study presented here used a Matrixed Multiple Case Study (MMCS) approach to examine the multilevel factors impacting IPV screening program implementation across sites with varying levels of implementation success.MethodsThis mixed methods study is part of a larger cluster randomized stepped wedge Hybrid-II program evaluation. In the larger trial, participating sites received 6 months of IF consisting of an external facilitator from VHA’s Office of Women’s Health working closely with an internal facilitator and key site personnel. Recognizing the heterogeneity in implementation outcomes across sites, the MMCS approach was used to enable interpretation of qualitative and quantitative data within and across sites to help contextualize the primary findings from the larger study. Qualitative data collection was guided by the integrated Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Services (i-PARIHS) framework and included interviews with key informants involved in IPV screening implementation at eight sites. Quantitative data on IPV screening uptake was derived from medical records and surveys completed by key personnel at the same eight sites to understand implementation facilitation activities.ResultsFifteen factors influencing IPV screening implementation spanning all four i-PARIHS domains were identified and categorized into three distinct categories: (1) factors with enabling influence across all sites, (2) factors deemed important to implementation success, and (3) factors differentiating sites with high/medium versus low implementation success.ConclusionsUnderstanding the influencing factors across multi-level domains contributing to variable success of IPV screening implementation can inform the tailoring of IF efforts to promote spread and quality of screening. Implementation of IPV screening programs in primary care with IF should consider consistent engagement of internal facilitators with clinic staff involved in implementation, the resourcefulness of external facilitators, and appending resources to IPV screening tools to help key personnel address positive screens.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT04106193. Registered on September 26, 2019.