myths relating to a macho male-dominated organisation that publicly espouses gender equality, but by its culture and practice remains gender blind. It further seeks to identify why scepticism towards female networking is so prevalent and to offer interventions that lead to a more positive approach to women’s mentoring and networking in the UK police service. Significant research in a variety of settings implies that mentoring is a positive mechanism for encouraging employee engagement Ramaswami et al (2010) and that, in turn, often translates into opportunities for career development to be identified by the mentor and pursued (successfully) by the mentee. The role of networking is often identified as a key activity, yet women’s networks, particularly within policing, are regarded by both genders with suspicion and Styhre (2007). Currently within the UK police forces females account for 26% of the police population with increasing representation of females in future years likely due to national demographic trends. Methodology Thirty five female high ranking or ACPO officers participated in semi-structured one to one interviews on a voluntary basis. They were from a wide range of locations across England, Wales and Northern Ireland and included the ranks of Chief Inspector, Superintendent, Chief Superintendent and some Association of Chief Officer (ACPO) ranks. In analysing the life-history interviews the methodology of
In some forces women were automatically assumed to want to be part of their women’s network. This caused some resentment from both genders, men resented not having a formal (male) network and women resented the assumption that they wanted to be part of it. An officer explains her role in relation to her inter force network: “I got really involved with the women’s network because I saw it as a great opportunity to change and shape some policy which we have done around flexible working & maternity. In my view they made the mistake of telling all females that they were automatically a member and not everyone wants to be a member and that built up some resistance by people saying ‘how dare they assume that that’s what I want, how dare they, I don’t want to be’ and at the same time an awful lot of criticism was levelled at the network from male colleagues, as you would expect. With comments like, why haven’t we got one”? For some women, the existence of such formal networks was seen as vital reflecting Kurtz (2008) view that police officers require mutual peer support. These women tended to be the less senior ranks, Inspector level, and they also tended to be younger in service. Some of the more senior ranking officers, with significant length of service of twenty years plus, recognised that the existence of networks is probably beneficial Klenke (2003), but their work commitments limited their ability to engage with such networks either locally or nationally. Whether this reflects Rindfleish and Sheridan’s (2002) view that senior women merely opt out of formal networks can be debatable. It seems that there are senior women who would welcome the opportunity to develop stronger networks, but their level of workload and responsibilities deny them that luxury. The accusation of inaction and apathy levelled at senior women