There was a time when there were very few women in Burma’s national police force, and they were practically invisible. Under an ambitious plan to enlarge, modernise and reform the Myanmar Police Force (MPF), however, that situation is rapidly changing. Not only are there now many more female police officers in Burma, but their roles are expanding, both locally and internationally.
Burma has always prided itself on the fact that, compared to other Asian countries, its women enjoyed high social status. They were not considered quite the equal of men (after all, one had to be born a man to become a Buddha), but under both custom and the law they were accorded many rights denied to their sisters elsewhere. This picture changed after the 1962 military coup, but women have played an important role in modern Burmese history, rising to senior positions in politics, the civil service and business.
There were some occupations, however, where women were seen as unsuitable, such as the armed forces and the police. In the latter case, this posed problems, as it was considered unacceptable for men to physically restrain women at demonstrations, at crime scenes or in custody. Women detained by the police could only be searched by other women, sometimes requiring the force to enlist the help of members of the public. – READ MORE
