An event will be taking place on Friday (7 March) at Middle Engine Lane Police Station in celebration of International Women’s Day (IWD).
Taking place from 9am – 4.45pm, the seminar is being supported by Northumbria Police Federation and will feature guest speaker and the branch’s equality advisor, Jayne Monkhouse OBE.
We caught up with Jayne, who will be discussing the ongoing pursuit of fair opportunity for female police officers and staff.
Dedicating her professional life to inclusivity within the workplace, Jayne worked for the Equal Opportunities Commission – a government organisation established under the 1975 Sex Discrimination Act – before setting up her own consultancy in 2001.
This has seen her enjoy a long-term relationship with the Federation, where her services have been used to inform crucial work around the rights of a diverse membership.
And while Jayne says she has seen parity between men and women grow significantly in the police force over the course of her career, she maintains constant evolution is needed to enable female cops to reach their full potential.
“At its most basic level, the concept of equality is something virtually everyone can get behind. But if it’s not applied properly, treating everyone exactly the same can just as easily lead to discrimination,” she said.
Equality
“For me, true equality is providing the right opportunities for people based on their circumstances. When it comes to policing, there is still room for improvement in this respect. I feel the difference in life cycles between men and women in the force is still not fully recognised.
“This is, hopefully, what I can open a few eyes to at the seminar, because while we want to celebrate the many incredible women in the police on IWD, we also want to create a platform for there to be even more.”
Jayne went on to break down some specific areas of equality she is set to address at the Force event including what she regards as the ‘single biggest barrier’ to female police personnel.
This comes in the form of insufficient opportunities for flexible working and reduced hours – often valued more highly by women due to childcare commitments.
She referred to Home Office data, which showed Northumbria Police’s proportion of female officers working part-time hours to be almost five per cent lower than the national police force average.
Female officers
Responsible for the highest proportion of part-time female officers, by comparison, was Norfolk Police, at nine per cent higher than the average.
“Unfortunately, forces aren’t always aware of these figures, so they don’t plan their resources accordingly,” Jayne continued.
“I think there is still sometimes an attitude in policing which sees part-time workers as a burden. And if it’s the women who are more likely to want part-time work, then they in turn are seen as a burden.
“The NHS has shown flexible working is possible in a 24/7 operation involving many female staff, so in my view, Northumbria Police should be aiming to push their proportion up considerably.”
The most damaging consequence of these low figures, Jayne explains, is the Force failing to retain its female cops as they are pressured into a choice between sustaining their work or personal lives.
Progression
An alternative could be women feeling dispirited and opting not to seek progression for fear of being hamstrung by their availability.
Jayne says a lack of promotions for women in the police can also be caused by fitness test discrimination, pointing to research from the University of Chester which found police fitness standards were being set too high, with tests for officers sometimes exceeding performance requirements.
“This discriminates against both female and older officers – meaning older women suffer a double whammy – and has reduced the proportion of women in areas such as firearms, public order units and dog units.
“Police forces are big employers, and they should be doing everything to accommodate their workers. It’s an exciting job and there are enough roles for everyone to find the right one for them, but the police must go to the lengths required to retain people and help them fill these roles.
“And when this doesn’t happen, female officers disproportionately suffer.”
Ambition
Looking at policewomen individually, Jayne, who was awarded an OBE for her services to diversity and equality in 2010, reserved praise for the ambition and talent seen across all ranks.
“As much as there may still be barriers in place, it’s critical we celebrate the amazing things women manage to achieve in policing on a daily basis,” she added.
“In this respect, there are plenty of positives in Northumbria Police – the Chief Constable herself is a woman who has had an exceptional career so far.
“IWD is a great forum for getting this kind of message across, so I am very much looking forward to the event.
“Ultimately though, I will be there to keep pushing for the Force to be as proactive as possible in giving these opportunities for greatness – because that is what women in policing deserve.”
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