Posted: Friday 6 March 2020, 09:02
Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service and Derbyshire Constabulary are marking International Women’s Day by pledging their ongoing commitment to gender equality.
Senior leaders from both organisations acknowledge that as public sector organisations, we need to be as representative as possible of the communities that we serve.
Rick Roberts, Deputy Chief Fire Officer, said: “In line with the HeForShe mission, that we signed alongside Derbyshire Constabulary two years ago, we must play an active role in promoting the removal of social and cultural barriers that prevent girls and women from fulfilling their potential and positively contributing to society.”
“As a society, we’ve made huge strides around equality, but there is still so much to do. It is reassuring that operationally more women consider a career in firefighting and policing. This demonstrates that social change can occur, attitudes can shift and society can continue to strive for real equality of opportunity. But it won’t happen on its own. Everyone has a role to play in becoming a visible support.
“HeforShe provides added impetus to our efforts to achieve equality. I firmly believe that the opportunities are there and I hope that people take them.”
Teams from both organisations run active positive action campaigns, hosting events to raise awareness about the role of a modern firefighter or a police officer, including specialist posts. So if you are interested follow us on social media for more information.
Work has also been undertaken to increase menopause awareness throughout the force and the service and organisations’ Gender Support Networks have been actively supporting these campaigns.
Kem Mehmet, Assistant Chief Constable, added: “This day is a reminder to celebrate the achievements of women and show our support in inspiring the future generation to learn that the fire service and the police is a career for everyone. That is why we continue to engage with underrepresented groups, including women, encouraging them to consider a career in firefighting or policing.”
“We are moving in the right direction. But more important than that is our overall culture and the message from the top of our organisation is loud and clear: the recruitment, retention and development of all employees is important to us, irrespective of their gender.”
Both organisations are encouraging others to follow their lead and sign the HeForShe pledge to help contribute to create a gender equal world.
To find out more about the HeForShe Campaign and to pledge your support, visit: www.heforshe.org or the hashtag #HeForShe.