Today (Friday 8th March) is International Women’s Day – a day of global activism and celebration to mark the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women, and to act as a powerful reminder of the work that still needs to be done. 

This year’s theme is ‘Inspire Inclusion’, which aims to inspire others to understand and value women’s inclusion and cuts to the heart of Police Now’s mission to inspire outstanding and diverse graduates to be leaders in society and on the policing frontline.

We know that women in policing and in society face significant challenges. Recent reports focusing on policing’s internal culture and Violence Against Women and Girls make clear that there is still a long way to go to make women feel safe in the workplace and wider society.

Police Now is committed to improving diversity and inclusion within the police service and communities, by recruiting outstanding individuals and equipping them with the skills and support needed to foster inclusive environments, challenge negative cultures when they see them, and lead in ways that build public trust and confidence in policing.

Hear from some of the women recruited and trained via Police Now’s programmes in our video above, as they speak about their passion for empowering others and being the change they want to see.

Police Now consistently recruits more women to its programmes than the policing national average, with 74% of last year’s National Detective Programme cohort identifying as female. On average, 56% of officers recruited to Police Now’s programmes are women, compared to the 35% of officers within policing across England & Wales.