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Conflicts and Challenges of Gender in the Workplace: The Police Service in England, Wales and Northern Ireland

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Hidden Inequalities in the Workplace

Part of the book series: Palgrave Explorations in Workplace Stigma ((PAEWS))

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Abstract

The chapter offers a unique insight into the challenges faced by female police officers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, where organisational culture, customs and practice, policies, systems and processes can negatively impact upon the opportunities for development and progression based upon gender. Socially constructed paradigms relating to the acceptance or rejection of a gender neutral society equally exert pressures that are not so overtly evident in other occupations. This work explores how the importance of establishing strong networks and mentors can enable women in policing to attain success and recognition. The under-representation of senior women in the service continues to be problematic with women citing a lack of self-efficacy combined with poor access to mentors resulting in them either facing isolation as their careers progress or an apathetic approach to promotion. Although there have been recent attempts by policy makers and government to address the under-representation of women entering the service, unless a structured and sustainable mentoring scheme is adopted to enable women to gain promotion within it, the service will continue to disadvantage females disproportionately.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Leadership, Governance and People Management, Leeds Business School, Leeds Beckett University, Leeds, UK

    Janet Astley

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  1. Janet Astley
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Nottingham Business School, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, United Kingdom

    Valerie Caven

  2. Nottingham Business School, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, United Kingdom

    Stefanos Nachmias

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Astley, J. (2018). Conflicts and Challenges of Gender in the Workplace: The Police Service in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In: Caven, V., Nachmias, S. (eds) Hidden Inequalities in the Workplace. Palgrave Explorations in Workplace Stigma. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-59686-0_4

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