Reception Free

Women in Security, Policing and Defence Reception

Name: Women in Security, Policing and Defence Reception
Start: 2023-06-20T13:00:00
End: 2023-06-20T18:00:00
Location: techUK, 10 St Bride Street, London, EC4A 4AD

1pm – 6pm 20 June 2023 techUK, 10 St Bride Street, London, EC4A 4AD

Sponsor - Smith Institute

At Smith Institute, we leverage data science, cutting-edge AI and a deep understanding of mathematics to fuel growth, inspire societal advancements, and safeguard our environment. Our 25 years of experience stretches across industries like security & defence, energy, telecommunications, and transportation.

We specialise in designing analytic tools which support evidence and investigation, automate decisions, promote human-machine teaming, optimise systems, and enable explainable, trustworthy AI.

The Smith Institute approach provides decision-makers with solid, understandable evidence – offering both the confidence to act and the clarity to understand the impact.

Please note, this is a techUK member-only event

Please note, this event will run fully in-person! More information, including location, will be shared once you register. Lunch and refreshments will be provided.

While this event is a celebration of women in security, policing and defence, we are keen to have everyone join us. Supporting the progression of women needs all, and we would be delighted to have allies at the event

Join us for an afternoon of panel discussions and networking, bringing together members and stakeholders to showcase the work and impact women are having across the National Security, Policing and Defence sectors.

This networking reception will be an opportunity to hear from senior female leaders, their achievements and will demonstrate how they are driving change from their leadership positions. The event will also provide a great opportunity to discuss how we can look to the future and break down barriers to accelerate women’s equality. Other topics will also touch on actions that Government and industry need to take towards the normative and societal good of equal representation in the sectors

We are delighted to announce the following speakers:

Heather Wilson Deputy National Coordinator for Prevent, Counter Terrorism Policing Headquarters
Deputy Chief Constable Maggie Blyth, Hampshire Constabulary, NPCC Violence Against Women and Girls Taskforce Lead
Parm Sandhu Associate at HMICFRS, Vice-President London Policing College, former Chief Superintendent, Metropolitan Police
Sally Walker, Former Director Cyber, GCHQ and National Cyber Force
Caroline Donaghy, Director Defence, ADS Group
Heather Tewkesbury, Chief Executive Officer, Smith Institute (Sponsor)

Structure

Please arrive for 12.45

13.00hrs – 14.00hrs | Lunch (will be provided)

14.15hrs – 14.50hrs | Welcome addresses

15.00hrs – 16.00hrs | Panel discussion + Q&A

16.00hrs – 16.30hrs | Closing presentations

16.30hrs – 17.30hrs | Networking & drinks

Overview

In July 2018 Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) reported that the UK’s intelligence agencies were not gender balanced at senior levels and did not ‘fully reflect the ethnic make-up of modern Britain’, The most recent data released by the ISC in March 2015 showed 41% of MI5’s workforce were women, 35% of GCHQ's and 36% of the SIS's. Two years later, there was some, if small, growth: MI5 (42.2%), SIS (38.9%) and GCHQ, having the smallest increase, of 35.2% (in 1995 it was 28%).

According to the Home Office, Workforce Open Data Table there were 43,762 female police officers in the 43 police forces on 31 March 2021, making up 32.4% of police officers in England and Wales, up slightly from 31.2% the last year. The number of female officers increased by 3,443 (8.5%) compared with a year earlier. Statista’s distribution of police ranks in England and Wales, highlights that the higher up in the police ranks, the share of females is lower, with around a quarter of police sergeants and inspectors being female. The highest rank of Chief Officer has a distribution of 68.7 percent male Chief Officers and 31.3 percent female Chief Officers.

Female representation in the UK Regular Forces as at 1 April 2022 has increased by 0.3 percentage points compared with 1 April 2021 (11.0%). Defence has set a Level of Ambition to achieve a 30% inflow of women to the Armed Forces by 2030. It is recognised that 30% is a very challenging level of ambition and one which has not yet been achieved by many of our NATO partners. In meeting this ambition, a Whole Force approach has been developed including tailored recruiting activities, women-focused marketing campaigns and making greater use of Servicewomen as recruiters. Defence, however, appreciates that recruitment alone is not enough and sees that a greater focus on retention, behaviour and inclusion continues to be vital.