The World Briefly
July 21, 2022Tall Order
Spain
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Spain’s Supreme Court scrapped a rule that prevented shorter women from joining the country’s police force, ruling that the regulation was “discriminatory,” Euronews reported.
The case is related to a woman, who was rejected from the force in 2017 for failing to fulfill the height requirement. Women who wish to join the National Police Corps must be at least 5.2 feet, while men must be at least 5.4 feet tall.
The plaintiff was two inches shorter. She said the laws favored males because just three percent of Spain’s male population does not fulfill the height threshold, compared to 25 percent of Spanish women.
The court sided with her, saying height requirements must take into account the average height for each gender. It added that the National Police Corps had not justified its height requirements.
The high court also ordered the force to employ the woman – provided she passes the exams – and pay her the same amount as other women who joined in 2017.
The average height of Spanish men and women between the ages of 20 and 49 is 5.7 feet and 5.4 feet, respectively.
Women make up nearly 15 percent of Spain’s total police force.
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