A Female Career in the Criminal Investigation Department during the Twenties and Forties

Abstract

Taking the professional biography of Josephine Erkens as an example, this book traces the difficulties women had to face when trying to establish a new branch of an occupation during the first few decades of the last century. Apart from efforts at modernization within the police force itself, social political strivings for reform of a part of the women’s movement as well as processes of professionalization were instrumental in the establishment of this new branch. However, different concepts of the job outline of policewomen, the prevailing non-recognition of women in positions of leadership as well as a negative and suspicious attitude towards working women greatly impeded this professional biography.