The ‘police progression paradox’? Why are women under-represented across the middle ranks of the police

Bibliographic Data

ID6445136
AuthorsLouis Bailey (0000-0002-1498-2485, University of Lancashire), Nathan Birdsall (0000-0002-7253-9211, University of Lancashire), Joanne Hulley (0000-0001-9620-2077, Independent researcher), Kingston (0000-0002-9226-1915, University of Lancashire)
Year2025
Volume35
Issue10
Pages1294-1315
Publication date2025-06-05
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenuePolicing & Society (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1043-9463 • E-ISSN: 1477-2728
PublisherTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/10439463.2025.2511751
OpenAlexW4411061215
LanguageEN
Citations received3
References cited80

Internationally, despite increasing numbers of women entering the police, women are still under-represented across the various ranks of law enforcement, especially within more senior and leadership positions. Barriers to women’s progression within law enforcement has been identified in previous research; however, what is not known are the reasons behind the drop in representation of women officers across the middle tiers of the police; an important promotion stage likely to hinder women entering senior ranks. This article seeks to address this significant dearth in knowledge, by presenting the findings of a large-scale mixed-methods research exploring staff retention and, in particular, the experiences and barriers faced by women officers. The resulting research comprises three parts: i) statistical analyses of national workforce data on 142,505 police officers in England and Wales, ii) in-depth examination of one constabulary’s HR data pertaining to 3,321 officers, and iii) force-wide semi-structured interviews with women officers (n=9). Each method targets a unique level of ecology (cultural/national; organisational, and individual) and draws on complexity theory to provide a multi-level exploration of the issues and barriers preventing women from progressing in their policing careers. Central here is an examination of the gendering of the police organisation and the ways in which gender performance, stereotypes, bias, and expectations filter through to working relationships and policing hierarchies vis-a-vis the social and domestic sphere. We argue that focusing only on women’s overall representation in the police, creates a ‘police progression paradox’ which masks the underlying problem of women’s progression into senior roles

Criminology · Political science · Sociology · Gender Politics and Representation · Gender, Security, and Conflict · Policing Practices and Perceptions · Psychology · Social Psychology

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