New survey: What are the barriers to women officers’ progression?
30 March 2026
With Force research showing that female officers are still under-represented in the more senior ranks, a Coventry based sergeant is carrying out her own survey to try to find out how women can be better supported in developing their careers within West Midlands Police.
Deb Walker is urging as many women as possible to take part in the survey - Exploring Barriers to Female Promotion within West Midlands Police: Organisational Culture, Working Hours and Leadership Expectations - which should take no longer than five minutes to complete.
“I have 25 years’ service with the Force and a strong personal and professional interest in understanding the barriers that may have an impact on women’s progression with the police service,” says Deb, who is carrying out the research as part of a post-graduate master’s degree in management and leadership at Coventry University.
“The survey is aimed at officers of sergeant rank and above. Their input will not only help me academically but will also enable the Force – and the Federation - to better understand the experiences of officers, the lessons that can be learned and how women can be better supported in developing their careers.”
Influence
Jess Davies, who became the first female chair of West Midlands Police Federation in May last year, is calling on members to take the time to fill out the survey.
“I am a sergeant myself so will be taking part in the study, but I also want to encourage as many members as possible to help Deb. The more officers who engage with the research the stronger the results will be and the more influence they will have,” she says.
“We know that more women are joining the police service, but we are still not seeing female officers being more represented in senior roles, so we need to understand why that is.
“I am looking forward to reading more about what this study uncovers and how, as a Federation, we might be able to offer support to women seeking career progression.”
Assistant Chief Constable Ian Parnell is supporting the research. He said: “As Force lead for gender within West Midlands Police, I want to emphasise how important this work is to me and the organisation. I strongly encourage you to take a few minutes to complete the survey on females pursuing promotion.
Understand
“Your feedback is essential as it helps us understand experiences which enables us to learn, improve and better support women in progressing their careers.”
The study will critically explore barriers to female promotion within the Force, with particular attention to organisational culture, working hours and leadership expectations.
Deb explains: “Despite ongoing efforts to improve gender equality within policing, women remain significantly under-represented in senior leadership roles. While the proportion of female officers entering the service has increased steadily, progression into ranks above inspector, remains disproportionately low.
“Recent Force level promotion data indicates that women remain under-represented among applicants progressing from chief inspector to superintendent, prompting organisational interest in developing a clearer understanding of the factors influencing promotion at this level.
“This research is therefore both operationally and academically significant, contributing to debates around gender equality, progression and workforce sustainability within West Midlands Police.
Or scan the QR code to take part:
Data protection and confidentiality
Your data will be processed in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation 2016 (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. All information about you will be kept confidential. All survey responses are anonymous.
