Women's police stations

Women's police stations (also units or offices) – Spanish: Comisaría de la Mujer, Portuguese: Delegacia da mulher – are police stations specializing in crimes with female victims. The women's police station, also called "WPS" was first introduced in Kozhikode District of Kerala, India on 27th October 1973. In 1985 the same was introduced in Brazil and are numerous in Latin America. According to Latin American Perspectives, the first women's police station was opened in São Paulo, Brazil and processed over 2,000 reports in their first six months of operations. Officers at these stations are only allowed to respond to certain crimes, such as psychological violence, domestic violence, family violence, as well as specific types of threats and sexual violence. Some units offer financial help, counseling, and medical care for women who are having trouble. In 2022, Brazil recorded 699 femicides; however, researchers found that in areas with women’s police stations, the homicide rate for women aged 15 to 24 decreased by 50%, and by 17% for women overall.