Beyond the Glass Ceiling in Policing: Exploring Invisible Barriers to Achieving Gender Equality

• In Event: Experiences of Women Police Officers: Boys’ Club, Invisible Barriers, and Gendered Communication

Abstract

With diversity policies now an established and central feature of police reform agendas across the world, women have made considerable gains within policing over time and can now be located in a broad range of police specialisms and across all ranks. At a policy level, things appear to be equal now with a number of developments ensuring no formal exclusions or barriers to women looking to progress within policing. Despite such progress, the number of women in police leadership remains low in the UK and beyond and is still some way off from the predicted level of a critical mass of 35% necessary for mitigating discrimination and acceptance by men in the workplace. This paper reflects upon the position of women in policing and emphasises the importance of challenging the popular mantra and idea that ‘all things are equal now’. It provides an insight into some of the more ‘informal/ invisible’ barriers that persist within policing. In so doing, it explores some of the ongoing gendered and cultural features of policing that continue to have a negative impact on women looking to progress to police leadership roles.

Author

• Marisa Silvestri, Kingston University