SEXISM AMONG policemen is still a barrier to women attaining promotion in forces throughout Britain, according to Tayside’s Chief Constable John Vine.

Women make up 20% of the 10,000 constables in Scotland’s eight forces but only 9% of those achieved higher ranks, while in the UK there are only two female chief constables.

Mr Vine, who carried out a survey as part of exploratory research to gain a Master of Science human resources management degree at Abertay University, admitted he was both surprised and disappointed to discover there was still a significant feeling that gender discrimination existed in the ranks.

Mr Vine, who is also president of the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland, sought through his study to establish what could be done to enhance the promotion prospects of female police officers.

In total, 294 women officers, in posts from sergeant to superintendent, were sent a questionnaire in an exercise that attracted a 60% response.

Although two out of three women supervisors believed there was no gender bias either way in force promotion procedures, a substantial number did suggest gender discrimination was still a problem in the service.

More than half of those canvassed said they rarely or only sometimes had access to the same career development opportunities as male colleagues and considered, when it came to climbing the promotion ladder, that it was advantageous to work at headquarters or to “know the right person.”

Mr Vine said, “The strength of feeling that this research has met with sends a clear message to the Scottish police service that it must redouble its efforts to address gender discrimination in the workplace.

“It is also clear that while the police service has introduced more flexible working hours and employees can work part-time and job share, more must be done to actively promote and enhance these practices to offer all our officers, both male and female, alternative work patterns.”

He emphasised that promotion systems must be fair and open and seen to be so, and the police must encourage competition for all departmental and divisional posts in the service.

He has recommended that both local and national networking opportunities are made available to women officers and that a framework for mentoring women officers with potential for higher ranks is established.

He said, “Although this is a snapshot, it is clear that there are still issues around the acceptance of part-time working and gender discrimination that the service has to address.

“Overall, while women supervisors recognised that in many cases things had improved over recent years, these comments tended to be outweighed by negative comments suggesting that gender discrimination and poor management of flexible working are still common in the present day service.”

Mr Vine said it was clear that women supervisors were ambitious, highly educated and motivated as a group.

“They aspired to advancement but did not believe that they always had the same opportunities as their male colleagues.

“I do not believe for one moment that those who were surveyed are seeking any kind of favouritism,” he added.

“What they want to be certain of is that they are afforded exactly the same opportunities as their male colleagues.

“They have acknowledged that progress has been made in recent years in terms of addressing gender discrimination, but they want to see the Scottish police service continue to make advances in this area.”