For most of the colonial period, African police and soldiers were exclusively male. The BSAP enlisted European female police during World War II to replace European male personnel who had transferred to the army for service overseas. African women first entered the BSAP in the mid-1960s and were not permitted in the military until after independence in 1980. Of course, African women still had strong and long-term connections to these organizations as the mothers, aunts, wives, daughters, nieces, and girlfriends of male police and soldiers. Many women lived in police and army camps for years, even decades, yet they left behind very little documentary evidence of their experience. During the late 1930s and 1940s it was rare for the African police magazine, Mapolisa, to mention the specific name of an African police wife. It was, for example, common for that publication to congratulate a named African policeman on the birth of a child, but his wife would remain anonymous. African women associated with African male soldiers, including army wives, were even more nameless.

African Police Wives

During the early 1930s BSAP authorities hoped to retain African policemen longer by allowing their wives and children to live in camp. African police wives were admitted to camps based on a number of conditions. The European member in charge of the facility had to give permission and the marriage had to be formally registered with the state. In the case of polygamous marriage, only one wife at a time could remain in camp, and her presence was subject to good behavior.