INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY


Not only are you thinking about getting pregnant and all the challenges that come with having a baby, but you’re also thinking: ‘how do I keep the job that I love?’.” Gemma worked throughout her pregnancy, and even presented PFEW’s Roads Policing Conference five days after giving birth - which thankfully was virtual - but wants to make clear the importance of putting welfare above all. “You do have to put your health first, and we have to be compassionate as an organisation, and as individuals. We must encourage and support others who may be experiencing this and going through the same emotions,” she said.


Opening up about the rollercoaster of emotions felt pre- and post-birth, and disclosing she still suffers from post-natal guilt and anxiety at not (working away) from home, Gemma continued: “I felt horrendous amounts of guilt having to return to work so early. I know it is felt across policing, especially now we’re in a cost-of-living crisis and we have individuals


determination, and wanted to make a difference - I felt I had a vocation in life so applied to join the police. My commitment to policing has not


wavered, although, like others, there are days when I have questioned my choice. When I applied to join the police, I


didn’t tell my parents, rather I waited until I had been offered a place within Devon and Cornwall. I was so proud and thought they would be too, but I didn’t quite get the response I expected. Instead, I got: ‘What, a real police officer? How can you be? You have a baby’. This remains a topic of conversation to this day. The National Women’s Group will


continue to help shape an environment that is gender aware, fully inclusive and encourages women to discuss female


“This is something worth celebrating. We admit there are still improvements to be made, and it is important we identify any barriers, as under a quarter of PFEW reps overall are female”


with childcare pressures and single parent families, where officers do have to go back to work quickly. “I understand why we need to continue to nurture that supportive culture for people because it is challenging. Kindness also goes a long way. Never assume, never judge, and just be there for each other.” Gemma started her PFEW career as a rep in Suffolk before transferring to City of London Police as deputy treasurer and professional development lead in 2018. Following on from sitting on the National Council as a protected seat, she was elected as a National Board member in 2019, and led on roads policing, ill-health retirement and areas of professional development. In 2022 she was voted in as Deputy National Secretary.


Sue Honeywill, Chair of the National Women’s Group Back in 1997, I was a married young mum, aged 22. I was full of ambition and


gender issues, and work towards removing barriers faced by our colleagues. Equity does now exist to allow career progression and development within the service, and things are changing for the better, but still too slowly. In the year ending March 2022, 1,334 female officers were promoted, which accounted for 31.2 per cent of all officers promoted, which I’m sure is a lot higher in comparison to the levels when I first joined, and we see a record number of female chief constables. However, the service can do more to support women through the promotion process. Currently officers have no protected learning time and are expected to study in their free time outside of work. This is disadvantageous for colleagues with caring responsibilities as it becomes an impossible juggling act, and we will continue to work with the College and chiefs to push for more allocated time for studying within working hours. The last few years, we have seen a momentous leap forward, with misogyny within policing and issues being debated and discussed on a much wider platform, along with people openly talking about health matters that predominantly affect women. It is amazing to see the uplift in female officers and this should be celebrated, but we need to continue to work on a culture change. I know we are on the right path, so let’s keep going.


Sam Hawkins, Secretary of the National Women’s Group I have been a police officer for 33 years and I am pleased to say that much positive change for women in policing has happened in that time. Joining the service as a woman in 1990 meant that my uniform and equipment were different to my male colleagues. I was issued with a black handbag and a small truncheon that fitted neatly, lengthways, into the bottom of that handbag… and there it remained. What was the use of such a dainty piece of equipment when you needed to protect yourself or the


public? Women were issued with skirts or (extremely uncomfortable) culottes. I had been an officer for quite some time until I was allowed to order a pair of trousers, but these were only to be worn on night duty! Sexual assault and harassment were rife, including a few male colleagues sticking their hands up my skirt on the premise of ascertaining if I was wearing stockings or tights.


I sought counsel from a couple of trusted


colleagues about these incidents, but the response was along the lines of: ‘X does that to everyone, he doesn’t mean it, it’s banter’. Throughout these challenges, there were also numerous supportive and appalled colleagues who offered support and advice and these far outweighed the bad ones. I became a sergeant, a mum, then one of the first part-time officers promoted to inspector in my force in 2005. You had to be working full-time to be promoted above inspector back then, which seems bonkers in retrospect.


How far policing has come since 1990? So much has changed for the better in 33 years. New recruits come from more diverse backgrounds, work is underway to change the sexist culture and we are embracing equity up and down the country every day. The number of female colleagues is increasing and more women are in senior leadership positions. Let’s keep focused and strive to achieve more.


17 | POLICE | APRIL 2023


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