Exploring the Experiences of Women in Security
This report is based on 706 survey responses and 21 interviews with female security professionals from a range of roles who carry out or manage staff who undertake physical security tasks. The report highlights that many women hold a positive perception of the security industry overall, and by no means have all struggled to progress or faced discrimination. However, it was apparent that a number of potential barriers to women entering and progressing in the sector exist and as such, there is a clear need for the industry to address these. It was also apparent that many of the proposed approaches suggested by the women who took part in the research, would be of general benefit to the industry, not only by attracting and retaining female security personnel, but by helping to dispel outdated perceptions of what physical security work involves and create a working environment that is attractive to all and enables all staff to be treated equally.