The academy is a very intense experience for everyone. It is certainly harder and more complicated for cadets who don't embody the traditional ideals of masculinity and of whiteness. For women, even seemingly small things really revealed how foreign their bodies were to the institution. One woman cadet talked to me about how hard it was to be on her period while she was at the academy.
Police departments across the US are signing a pledge to increase the share of women in their ranks, hoping the move will help reduce excessive force by officers. Researchers say it’s not that simple.
This episode was produced by Victoria Chamberlin, edited by Matthew Collette, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Paul Mounsey, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram.
Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained
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