International Women's Day: the Polizia di Stato celebrates its female officers
The number of female officers in the Polizia di Stato is growing. They serve in all ranks and kinds of work assignments, as regular law enforcement officers, technical-scientific staff or in top command positions.
Currently, the Polizia di Stato employs 15,137 female officers, who everyday serve the needs of the community with competence and determination.
The first female officers joined the Police in 1960, entering the old "Corpo di polizia femminile", and their initial duties essentially involved the care of minors and prostitutes.
In 1981, the new Public Security system (Law no.121) provided for equal career opportunities for male and female police staff, allowing the inclusion of the first women in the Polizia di Stato.
Women in uniform play important roles, striving to find a balance between their career and personal life. They drive police cars or fly helicopters, head police stations and criminal investigation departments. They also work as police doctors, technicians or are successful athletes in traditionally male disciplines. Three of them have reached the rank of Questore, police chief at provincial level.
Today, the Polizia di Stato is one of the most appreciated and respected institutions in the country, and this is also due to the efforts of female officers, who approach their job with empathy, receptiveness and dedication.
Police Chief Alessandro Pansa highlighted the importance of the role played by policewomen in institutional tasks, and in particular in the fight against gender violence.
At the conference "Donna è…" held on March 5-6 in Rome and organized by RAI, the Italian public broadcasting company, Mr Pansa defined violence against women as a "multidimensional issue, which requires a multilateral approach". The Interior ministry has developed through an inter-institutional task force, a so-called pink code, an operational protocol, which is designed to be an deffective response to gender violence, alongside with specialized law enforcement field offices. "This crime - the Police chief concluded - is not on the rise: it's complaints that are increasing and this is a positive development".
On the occasion of the "International Women's Day", which was celebrated on March 8 at the Quirinale, the President of the Italian Republic Giorgio Napolitano conferred the honour of "Ufficiale" on Francesca Monaldi, head of the Primavalle police station in Rome, in recognition of her enthusiasm and commitment in the organization of law enforcement response to sexual crimes.