Women in Private Security Industry – A perspective
Anil Puri CMD, APS group A first generation serial entrepreneur, thought leader and an action catalyzer rolled into one – Anil Puri is a rare combination of a visionary, an innovator and a strategic thinker. He has used this combination to innovate and implement on-ground many new business ideas. His rich experience in various businesses has enabled him to nurture & mentor innovative ideas and scale them up. INTRODUCTION Having been viewed as a ‘male preserve’ for many years, the security industry now finally realises the value and contribution of women. This is visible not only in the growing numbers of female security professionals, but also with more women taking leadership roles in organisations. Our female forebearers struggled to gain the rightful recognition they deserved, but as society has changed so too have attitudes. Women are now seen as equals, but our industry still has a disproportionate balance in favour of men. For many years now, women have made their impact known throughout the industry, and the numbers of successful women in security seems to increase every year emphasizing the growing importance of women managers in this field. The convergence of physical and cyber security is advancing quickly, which is helping to expand the role of women in physical security. More IT professionals have crossed over to the physical security systems world, and as a result, more women are engaging and operating in this space. During the past decade, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of women in leadership roles within in the security profession. More and more women are holding executive-level jobs in organizations across the globe. Women entering security in junior-level positions are quickly and remarkably climbing the organizational ladder of success. Women have been adding credibility to security organizations and have also been observed to be infusing respect in the processes and approaches of such organizations. Women no longer have narrowly defined roles in security. They can now enter any position – be that technical, managerial or right at the coalface of physical security. I am also pleased to see women recognised in security industry awards, reflecting our overall success. Ultimately, we need to reach a stage where gender isn’t even a factor and individuals are judged on their professional skills alone. These are some primary reasons why innovative and forward-thinking security organizations are hiring more women and placing more women in managerial roles. The keen eye for details and the depth of creativity and technical knowledge are key points that have drawn the attention of leadership in security organizations towards women employees who show promising potential. Now, women are moving into sales and business roles with direct P&L responsibility, as well as a wide variety of jobs within the security industry. There are women technicians, security officers, integrators, business heads, and business owners – Managing Directors. WHAT POSSIBLY COULD HAVE BEEN THE REASONS WOMEN CHOOSE NOT TO PURSUE A CAREER IN SECURITY I often ponder on it as to why it took us so long to reach this change and most of time I reach to a cluster of numerous likely reasons out of which I have summarized a few very obvious ones below: Security is a male-dominated industry. Sexual exploitation is still prevalent in the sector. Fears that gender will impede career progression. The perception that security work is unsafe for women. Lack of female role models, particularly in higher positions. The belief that typical ‘female’ characteristics will be seen as inferior. The misconception that men are stronger and only fit into security cloak. The idea that the security work is incompatible with family life. Evidence that female security staff face high levels of discrimination, sexual harassment, and bullying. Perceived lack of opportunities for women within the industry CHALLENGES Possibly the reasons above may not form the full explanation. Therefore, I find it essential to delve into the challenges which dwarfed the women entry into security domain for so long. The key challenges which come to my mind could have been substantial to navigate: Stereotyped roles offered to women as the Admin/ HR or marketing person. Difficult & inflexible work culture for the working mum. Stereotypical view of the PSI dominated by the law enforcement officers. Lack of formal training in the technical aspects of security domain. Perceptional deficit of the broad nature of the security and PSI. Criteria of the requisite experience to move on to senior roles OPPORTUNITIES The uncertain and changing times we all live in have increased the focus on security and risk services, creating a whole new world of opportunities and career paths within the industry that were not available previously. There are increased education options available now in security, criminal justice and terrorism studies than ever before, leading to job titles and career progression that didn’t exist 10 years ago. Increasing reliance on technology and networking means that women can enter the industry from IT, cyber security or other technology backgrounds, which increases the pool of knowledgeable professionals available. Any person entering the security industry now has more options than ever before, which is an exciting time for the industry. There are tremendous opportunities for women in our industry at all stages of their lives. They can do full time, part time or casual work. Part time and casual positions for team leaders, supervisors and operations managers allow women to reduce their hours while they raise a family and progress their career. Flexible hours with four to 12 hour shifts also allow people to work while studying right through to semi-retirement. There are many security roles where women are valued. Hence, opportunities are vast and endless in the right company. In the technical sector the components are small, light and easily managed. The work is relatively clean and mentally quite challenging. The potential career paths which women could have besides Admin, HR, Sales/ Marketing in PSI: Consultant – Security, safety & Quality Assurance (QA). Company Secretary & Legal. Quality Assurance Manager. Risk Management Professional. Loss…