The call for policewomen activists

Police departments seem to do nothing to address issues that adversely affect female officers, according to the outgoing chair of the Police Federation of Australia Women’s Advisory Committee.

Janet Mitchell said that, for women, only police unions had brought about progress on issues such as maternity leave, part-time employment and promotion.

“If it’s left up to the employer, workers wouldn’t get what they deserved,” she said. “Without unions, we don’t achieve meaningful terms and conditions.

“As far as women’s issues are concerned, it’s the same thing. If we don’t get involved, women’s issues wouldn’t necessarily be identified or addressed... So, to see change for women, we have to take up the cudgels.”

Ms Mitchell’s comments came after a day-long meeting of the PFAWAC in Canberra on September 15. Representatives from all but three police jurisdictions across Australia and New Zealand had worked through a long list of agenda items pertinent to the PFA’s 9,000 female members.

In a move to prompt more of them into union activism, the committee passed a motion that the PFA endorse the establishment of a women’s branch in each jurisdiction. Representatives agreed that such branches – which already operate in certain states – could promote greater activism, and supply local-level information to the PFAWAC.

Ms Mitchell said a lack of female activism in police unions had existed for some time, and had been a “key concern”, as women were “key stakeholders” in both policing and unionism.

“While unionism has traditionally involved men, it shouldn’t necessarily be that way,” she said. “The voice of women is wanted and needed, and it should be there.

“You actually have the ability, no matter what your rank, to make a real difference; to actually be heard and contribute to change.”

The committee highlighted greater use of the Anna Stewart Memorial Project – a two-week programme designed to familiarize women with the operations of their police unions – as a means to attract more activism.

It passed a motion to encourage each jurisdiction either to participate in the project, or set up an identical in-house programme.

Of the committee’s workplace agenda items, childcare drew vigorous discussion. Details emerged of a childcare centre now established within the NSW police service. Through a successful motion, the committee undertook to draw information from each jurisdiction with which to develop a national childcare policy.

PFAWAC members (standing from left): Tracey Maclennan (NZ), Lauren Hill (NT), Bernadette Zimmermann (SA), Noreen O’Rourke (WA), outgoing chair, Janet Mitchell (Vic). Seated (from left): Jacqui Davidson (NSW), Debbie Robertson (Vic) and Karen Robinson (SA).

Ms Mitchell – also a Police Association (Victoria) executive committee member – said her union had, through a consultant, begun to liaise with the Victoria Police on the issue. She said she saw no reason why the childcare concept could not be implemented nationally.

In a discussion on the issue of women returning to work from maternity leave, committee members heard tragic details of the recent suicide of a Victorian policewoman. The single mother of one had, on her first day back at work after such leave, begun duty and signed out a firearm with which she shot herself dead.

For committee members, the emotion-charged story raised questions about whether policewomen on maternity leave fell out of touch with their workplaces, and so suffered anxiety about returning to work.

“I think there’s a general mindset that mums go off and have a wonderful, stress-free year off,” said WA Police Union representative, Noreen O’Rourke. “In fact, it is really quite a stressful 12 months – or however many months you have off.

“(There are) added stresses that go with coming back into the workforce. Although that might not have been the cause of her suicide, what it highlighted for a lot of people was, ‘What can we do?’ “

The committee later passed a motion that the PFA endorse the Keep in Touch programme, used by Victoria Police to help those on extended leave with their return-to-work process.

Other discussions focussed on barriers to women’s progression in police careers, and the inability of officers in remote areas, or on extended leave, to access training.

The committee passed one motion that the PFA lobby police commissioners to research those barriers, and another to bring about training programmes to accommodate part-time and remote-location officers.

In an opening address to the meeting, PFA president, Peter Alexander, announced that the federation would commit funding to enable the committee to meet twice per year. The PFAWAC next meets in Canberra early in 2004.