The Force is committed to promoting gender equality for both service users and employees. This includes promoting equality for men and women (including transgendered men and women). A Force- wide policy on transgender equality for employees will be available on this page soon.

Engaging with men and women (including transgendered men and women)

All staff who have contact with members of the public are trained to work effectively with service users of all genders. In particular Neighbourhood Policing Teams, Hate Crime Officers and a Community Liaison Officer work to build links with all communities across the Force to identify and tackle issues affecting these communities.

Our IAGs and EAGs each provide a forum in which diverse communities can engage with the Force to influence policing.

Employment

There are five key aims to promote gender equality in policing (described below) which are contained in Gender Agenda 2. The way in which we promote gender equality in relation to these aims are:

• Aim 1 - Valuing women in policing.
• There is a Springboard programme for women and will be a Navigator programme for men. Both courses are designed to enable both men and women to maximise their potential in both their home and working life.
• All employees from Equality Groups are able to attend the Positive Action Leadership Programme (PALP) document, a three day course designed to encourage staff from Equality Groups to maximise their potential at work and progress within the organisation.
• The Force policy on Bullying and Harassment underlines the zero tolerance approach to sexual harassment.
• Aim 2- Achieving a gender balance across rank and role structures and specialisms
• Informal mentoring
• We are currently reviewing the legality of having formal mentoring and secondment/ work experience programmes in specialist departments for members from Equality Groups.
• Aim 3- Creating more of a women’s voice in policy forums
• Equality Impact Assessment and Procurement process described below
• Our Gender Working Group is a well established network which looks at issues which disproportionately affect women. For further information go to Staff Associations and Support Groups.
• Aim 4- Promoting a work life balance
• The Force has extensive work-life balance policies and procedures which are in excess of our minimum legal requirements. More work will be done to promote work-life balance for police officers and for men and women who do not have child care commitments in addition to those who do.
• Aim 5- Ensuring women have the right equipment and environment to enable them to perform their roles effectively
• The Force follows a process to ensure that goods and services can be used equitably and appropriately by our staff and service users from Equality Groups. See Procurement for more information.

One key way to develop trust and confidence with our diverse communities is to have a representative workforce. Details on the work done to achieve this are contained in Making Diversity Happen.

Service Delivery

Gender Based Crime (GBC) is a crime where offenders disproportionately target victims of a particular gender. The Force is working on ways to deal with such crimes as effectively as possible. For example, the Force has developed the Domestic Violence Policy that incorporates best practice guidance. Crimes relating to honour-based violence and forced marriages are contained in the domestic violence policy and the Force has set up a Witness Care Unit which gives an enhanced level of care to vulnerable and intimated witnesses such as domestic violence victims.

In relation to rape, the Force is also developing plans for a multi-agency sexual assault referral centre (SARC) for the Avon and Somerset Contabulary area.

Training

Diversity training is the "golden thread" which is woven into all Force training courses. New police officer recruits are trained in diversity awareness. New police staff recruits receive training on equalities legislation and the minimum standards required by the Force on diversity related matters, as part of their induction.

Implementing and conducting non-discriminatory practices and policies

We assess the impact of our practices on gender equality by using the monitoring described in Methods of Monitoring.

We assess the impact of our policies on gender equality by conducting Equality Impact Assessment.

Procurement

As well as taking steps to promote equality for our staff and service users we are committed to promote equality in external organisations which provide us with goods or services ("Contractors"). See Procurement for more information.

To ensure that our goods and services can be used equitably and appropriately by our staff and service users we follow a process to assess whether they are fit for that purpose. See Procurement for more information.