WINS is excited to announce several officers from the UK Civil Nuclear Constabulary (CNC) will speak at an upcoming webinar on diversity and women in armed policing.
Diverse and inclusive armed policing services require officers who represent the community, including women. This webinar on Women in Armed Policing will feature a female Authorised Firearms Officer as well as advocates for women, visible minorities and LGBT people in policing.
“We are pleased that our number of female Authorised Firearms Officers (AFOs) exceeds the national average, however, it is still only 15% of our total number of AFOs, so we recognise we have much work to do in this area,” Chief Superintendent Duncan Worsell said.
“Taking part in events such as the WINS webinar is important as it allows us to reach a wide and diverse audience and showcase exactly what we can offer women who join the CNC. We are committed to championing the role women play in the policing and nuclear sectors, and this event is another chance for us to do so.”
Women are underrepresented in the nuclear security sector, according to nearly three-quarters of respondents to the WINS Gender and Nuclear Security survey. Women are also underrepresented in policing roles worldwide. An August 2020 ASEAN survey found that women made up 6-20% of police forces in the region, while in the EU about 17% of police officers are women.
“Lack of role models and information about careers in nuclear security are cited as two of the biggest obstacles to greater participation of women in the sector,” Rhonda Evans, Lead for the WINS Gender Champions Programme, said. “Highlighting the important role women have in armed policing services will help to strengthen diversity in the sector, which is key to developing the broader talent pool that modern nuclear security requires.”
Senior officers from the CNC speaking at the webinar will include Simon Chesterman, Chief Constable of the CNC and National Police Chiefs’ Council Lead Expert on Armed Policing; Chief Superintendent Duncan Worsell, MBE; Assistant Chief Constable Louise Harrison; and Superintendent Donna Jones. The event will be facilitated by Rhonda Evans.
The webinar will take place Friday, 9 October 2020, 17:00-18:00 CET, and the video will be available to members in the WINS Knowledge Centre. Registration is free and open to the public.
