PLOT
Long reserved for men, careers in the police force have gradually opened up to women. A look back at a century of change in France, Germany and Italy. Whilst the inclusion of women in police work now seems to be taken for granted in Europe, it is the result of a slow and uneven evolution. Admitted into the force at the start of the 20th century in France and Germany, and in the aftermath of the Second World War in Italy, women’s roles were for a long time confined to providing support to children, women and vulnerable people. From the 1960s onwards, women gradually began to appear in uniform, but remained excluded from patrol duties, criminal investigations, policing and specialised units until the 1990s. Although women are now not only present across all police services but are also promoted to positions of responsibility, the police force remains predominantly male.