Opinion piece in the Herald Sun - Thin blue ceiling

17/03/2008
by Helen Szoke, CEO

The so-called ``feminisation' of policing has copped its fair share of criticism recently.

The current focus on who gains entry into the force is a distraction from more fundamental issues about why women don't make a full career out of policing.

We are told that women get the jobs preferentially over men, but that they do not want to do the shift work, they are not up to the task in some operational areas, and they are hard to retain.

These murmurings, from what can be considered the old guard, are a reaction to broader attempts to change the culture of Victoria Police.

A police force should reflect the diversity of the community so it can serve that community with greater understanding.

The truth is Victoria Police has made significant gains and demonstrated ongoing commitment to offering equal opportunity to women.

But they have a long way to go.

It is true that the force has worked hard to attract more women.

Today, the overall number of female police is 22.2 per cent of the force.

But there are still some worrying trends.

Around 42 per cent of constables are women.

Yet by the time they reach sergeant level and above, only 8 per cent are women.

This suggests there is something else happening to put women off making a career in policing.

What happens to all of those women who join the force and then leave?

Why do so many policewomen fail to progress beyond constable?

Some people might think that the problem of retaining women within Victoria Police is something to do with their capacity to do the job, reluctance over shift work, or going into operational front line areas.

Certainly in other industries it has been suggested that women are not as committed to their careers as their male counterparts because of their childbearing and child-caring responsibilities.

In general women's reliance on part-time work, parental leave and flexible work arrangements has prevented their career development.

But that's because of a persistent belief among employers that anyone working part-time or flexibly can't be serious about their job.

It is far more likely that employers are not really serious about employing, promoting and retaining women.

Instead of blaming women for not fitting in with the system, perhaps its time to examine a system which appears to exclude half the population.

What we know, is that often there are embedded or institutionalised practices which make it very difficult for women to remain working or to secure senior positions, particularly in organisations like the police force.

These are what we would refer to as systemic discrimination, where an organisation may not even realise that it is systematically denying equality of opportunity through the way that it operates.

One such barrier might be the organisation's culture and this will be the biggest challenge for Victoria Police.

I don't pretend to intimately understand the workings of an organisation like Victoria Police, but I do understand systemic discrimination.

Some women respond by assuming the culture of the organisation _ becoming ``one of the boys''.

Others will be victims of that culture as they do not conform nor comply nor survive. Both strategies result in a loss of talent and diversity.

The key to change is leadership.

The leadership of Victoria's Chief Commissioner Christine Nixon must be reflected throughout the force, but she can't do it on her own.

Every level, and particularly at the level of the station sergeants who are responsible for mentoring, rostering and encouraging career progression has tocarry the ethos of her leadership.

Policewomen want to feel safe in their work environment, and often safety can be threatened by bullying tactics, be they physical, by exclusion or by negative public comments about female officers.

Policewomen want to be respected as being able to do the job just as well as police men, and not to feel as though they have to adopt a male way of doing things to earn that respect.

Equality is not about being the same.

It's about ensuring systems, practices and cultures do not work against some groups in our community in favour of others.

We can only benefit from a more diverse and inclusive police force that better reflects the community it serves.