Gender equality reform and police organizations: A social justice approach

Attention to gender equality in paramilitary organizations such as policing has increased in recent times following numerous reports identifying high levels of sex discrimination, sexual harassment, and predatory behavior. It is well recognized that gender inequality will not be addressed without transforming the hierarchical and masculinized cultures of policing organizations. Less well recognized is the significance of situating and aligning gender equality reforms within a broader focus on organizational justice. This article illustrates this significance through reviewing key literature in the space of gender equality and policing and organizational justice and policing. It examines the ways in which gender equality reform has been approached in policing organizations with the aim of highlighting the possibilities and problematics of female-focused approaches and broader social justice approaches. The article's contribution is theoretical. It utilizes the social justice theorizing of Nancy Fraser to enrich insights from the organizational justice, gender equality, and policing literature to articulate a productive and comprehensive approach to addressing gender and other forms of injustice within policing organizations.