Kerala: India's first all-woman police station celebrates 50 years

A remarkable piece of history unfolded precisely five decades ago when then Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi inaugurated the country's first women's police station in Kozhikode. The PM then handed the station's first sub-inspector, M Padminiamma, a pen to sign the inaugural register.Kerala Police takes immense pride in declaring it the first police station in Asia for women on their website, yet there's a twist to this tale. Some assert that this trailblazing initiative might, in fact, hold the distinction of being the world's first of its kind.Padminiamma, who retired as an SP in 1995, vividly recalled the historical moment from October 23, 1973, that would go on to shape the way women accessed law enforcement in Kerala and across India. The idea behind the Vanitha (women's) police station in Kozhikode was both progressive and humane, Padminiamma said in Thiruvananthapuram, where she lives with her son.'Most cases relate to family issues'Women seeking recourse to justice predominantly found themselves facing a daunting male-dominated environment within police stations. For many, this was a formidable barrier, particularly those who lacked educational empowerment. "The main intention was to make it easy for them to file their complaints," first sub-inspector M Padminiamma said.She reminisced about the station's uniform, which was initially a white saree with a blue border, evolving into one with a green border. It wasn't until her retirement that the sarees transitioned into khaki. This transformation was indicative of the changing times, eventually leading to the introduction of trousers and shirts for the women cops.Current in-charge Thulasi KK holds the unique distinction of being the first to be directly recruited as a sub-inspector and given charge of a station. "Apart from cases where women are complainants, we also register cases where women are accused. Most of the cases are related to family issues and domestic violence, areas where female officers' empathetic understanding can make a significant difference," she said.Kozhikode town ACP Bijuraj P unequivocally asserted that this is indeed the world's first women's police station, less known due to the lack of proper documentation. "When we searched online, there were reports claiming that the first such police station was started in 1985. However, the station in Kozhikode was inaugurated in 1973. It is definitely the first in Asia, and our research shows that it is the world's first," Bijuraj said.The golden jubilee celebrations of the police station began on October 16 and are set to conclude on Friday. The celebratory activities included blood donations for women and children, hair donations for cancer patients, and awareness campaigns against drugs and child education on social issues. The celebrations also involve seminars and events on women's empowerment, along with felicitations for former station house officers at the police station, ACP Bijuraj said.