As Barcelona prepares for its annual International Women’s Day marches, new figures reveal a significant, albeit slow, shift in the gender balance of one of Catalonia’s most historically male-dominated professions. For the first time, three cities in the Barcelona metropolitan area have surpassed 20% female representation in their local police forces, marking a key milestone in the ongoing effort to achieve gender parity in law enforcement.

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According to the latest data from the Provincial Deputation of Barcelona (DIBA), the municipalities of Mollet del Vallès (22.06%), Vilanova i la Geltrú (21.43%), and Rubí (20%) are leading the way. These figures stand in stark contrast to the regional average of just 16% female officers in local police forces, and the disparity is even more pronounced in leadership roles, where women hold a mere 9% of senior positions.

The slow progress in policing is particularly notable when compared to the broader municipal workforce in the Barcelona area, which is 53% female. Although a legal mandate reserving between 25% and 40% of new police positions for women is now in place, its recent implementation means its effects are only gradually becoming apparent.

Two Officers, Two Realities

The experiences of two female officers, speaking to El Periódico ahead of the 8th of March, highlight the different realities faced by women in the force. Corporal Sandra Laínz serves in the Mollet del Vallès municipal police, one of the trailblazing forces. Meanwhile, Chief Inspector Raquel López leads the local police in Valls (Tarragona), where she is the only woman in a leadership position in the entire province, and her station is only 10% female.

Both women agree they have primarily faced internal hurdles, stemming from a self-imposed pressure to prove themselves. “It came from me, this desire to show I had the same capability as a man,” Laínz admits.

López echoes this, describing moments of experiencing Imposter Syndrome. Despite holding a law degree and a postgraduate qualification in public security management, she sometimes feels the need to constantly demonstrate her worth. She has also felt her decisions were questioned more than those of her male counterparts. “I ask myself, ‘If a man had said this, would they have questioned it too?’” she reflects.

Divergent Paths to the Badge

The officers’ journeys into policing differed markedly. Laínz’s curiosity was sparked by a relative in the state security forces whose anecdotes inspired her. After a decade in retail and private companies, she decided to apply at the age of 32. “I thought about it day after day, until I thought, ‘And why not?’” she recalls. “I believed in myself, and the next step was to go and get it.” She passed the exams on her first attempt; her first patrol was on 1st August 2006. “I remember it perfectly, it was a municipal market day,” she says.

López, however, took a less direct path. While studying to be a teacher and working as a waitress in Salou, she tried three times to join the Mossos d’Esquadra, Catalonia’s regional police force, but was rejected for not meeting the height requirement. A customer then suggested she try the local police instead. Her career progressed steadily from an interim position in Salou in 2000 to becoming Chief Inspector in Valls in 2024, with several promotions and posts across Catalonia along the way.

The Debate on Quotas and the Road Ahead

In Mollet del Vallès, where a prominent female mayor, Montserrat Tura, held office from 1987 to 2003, Laínz feels the presence of women in the force is part of its normality. She credits a veteran female officer, María Luisa, as a role model who was already present when she joined. “She probably experienced that gender gap more, something I haven’t perceived,” Laínz notes. “I think the colleagues who were here before us have made our lives easier.”

This experience has shaped her view on the legally-mandated female quotas, which she criticises. She argues, “It detracts from the effort many women make to get there, suggesting they access the post because of their gender and not on their own merit, which ultimately harms us.” While she understands the goal of a more equitable model, she concludes that “the positions must be filled by the best candidate, regardless of their sex.”

López, however, sees the quota system as a “necessary” regulation, though she feels its impact on local police forces has been minimal. “We are still the same,” she laments, pointing out that while more women may now apply, the numbers are not yet proportional. Ideally, if there are 190 vacancies, 90 women would apply.

Officials from DIBA and the leading municipalities support the push for greater representation. Raquel Albiol, Vice President of the DIBA’s Feminisms and Equality area, told El Periódico that integrating a feminist perspective is “essential for advancing towards more just and secure societies.”

López believes the key is to push for a minimum of 25% representation and, crucially, to “generate more role models and visibility so that new generations consider the profession.” Laínz agrees, proposing the implementation of the Mollet del Vallès model in more municipalities as the way forward.