The chair of Hertfordshire Women’s Network says ‘we are losing so many female officers because they are fed up with the fight’ as she speaks of her mission to empower and educate colleagues to ensure women feel better supported across the Force.

Frankie Westoby is using her own experiences to help tackle the issues many female officers face on a daily basis, particularly with regards to violence against women and girls, as well as the impact health conditions can have on women in the police.

As the chair of the Hertfordshire Women’s Network and a single, working mum, Frankie says that while she finds speaking out for female officers ‘sometimes a challenge’, she is ‘loving the fight’.

“I have around two to three women come to me every single week asking for support. So many great female officers are leaving their job because they are fed up with the fight, and if things don’t change, policing will lose more women,” said mother-of-two Frankie, a detective chief inspector and workplace Federation representative.

“As females, we shouldn’t have to battle to get a work-life balance or justify a promotion.”

Frankie’s passion for giving female officers a voice is driven by her own experiences, as a single mum, who has worked in the police for 25 years, having originally joined the Metropolitan Police in 1997.

“When I joined Hertfordshire two-and-a-half years ago, I started to hear and see a number of things that I felt just weren’t right,” added Frankie.

“And it wasn’t until people would come to me with issues that I really realised how many problems there were.”

Frankie, whose sons are 16 and 17, says she has always worked full-time, and felt she had to return to work after a few months into maternity leave with both children.

“I don’t want people to feel sorry for me, I had no choice but to come back to work that early, and full-time. Not everyone has a partner to help out with childcare, or the finances to pay for extra days at nursery,” she added.

“Joining the police doesn’t necessarily halt your career, but it can definitely put limitations on what you can do. I’ve had to choose my roles, around my family - I can’t possibly do all roles, and be a present mum.

“It almost feels like women have to choose between having kids or climbing the career ladder. Do our male colleagues need to make that choice? Sadly, women have to make sacrifices - they either prioritise their work but don’t have children, or they start a family and then feel they can’t get promoted, or they spend time at work, but don’t see their families. Whatever their situation, it’s common for women to feel some sort of guilt about the decisions they’ve made in life. 

“I want to use my experience to help my colleagues. I’ve experienced misogyny and sexism, and now I want to educate others to help the future of the Force.

“I want people to understand what is acceptable behaviour - even if it’s well meant behaviour, it’s not always OK anymore.”

Frankie’s comments come just after World Menopause Day, which this year fell on Tuesday (18 October).

“I want people to see that these issues are real - menopause is a real thing, that women are having to deal with. And it might not be female officers, it could be our mums, sisters and wives. I need people - not just women - to feel comfortable sharing their stories,” explained Frankie.

“Women shouldn’t be afraid to share their concerns or be embarrassed. We need to get these conversations going.”

The Women’s Network is there to support women facing any arising challenges, while continuing to educate colleagues.

“One of the most surprising issues we’ve found is a survey that revealed how many women admitted to feeling unsafe within the workplace. But where is the support for these women? We need to support women in policing who are experiencing unacceptable behaviour, and also educate colleagues, so they know when or if their behaviour is inappropriate,” added Frankie.

“Our aim is to make sure female officers have that much-needed welfare support, so they don’t feel isolated. I’m trying to help put processes in place to drive this sorted.”

Luke Mitchell, chair of Hertfordshire Police Federation, has welcomed Frankie’s comments.

He said: “I’m so grateful for all the work Frankie has done and continues to do to support women in the workplace. No one should feel unsafe or unsupported in the work place. Since being in post Frankie has opened my eyes to the many issues our female colleagues face, and the very quick things we, the Federation, need to be raising with the Force, to impress upon them the need for change.

“Hertfordshire Police Federation is committed to addressing all the issues both Frankie and the Women’s Network have raised. We have many solutions and ideas but need the support and willingness from those in authority to implement. With VAWG being such a high priority, it’s important we don’t just focus on external but also internal issues. Until we address the various subjects internally we will never convince the public we can change the culture in our communities.”