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Posting of Female Police Officers

Bureau / Department Hong Kong Police Force
Objective To manage the Police Force's human resources for meeting the operational needs of various units so as to support the Force's vision, common purpose and values.
Content In the past, female officers were primarily involved in the administrative and supporting role in the Force. This traditional role limited their opportunity to perform frontline duties. Since the implementation of arming of female officers policy in April 1996, the posting arrangement for female officers has been changed. Now, operational frontline units, such as, Police Tactical Unit (PTU) and PTU Instructors, Emergency Unit, Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit, Police Dog Unit, Tango Company, Police Negotiation Cadre and Regional Traffic, etc., have female members.
Groups / Persons Affected All female police officers serving in the Hong Kong Police Force.
Impact Based on and following the principle of equal opportunities, the Force has introduced a level playing field in terms of human resources management, including, recruitment, training opportunities, posting, promotion and transfer, etc. Based on this approach and the increasing gender awareness, this has resulted in female officers having greater opportunities in performing various roles in the police functions.

The change of posting arrangements for female officers has gradually created a culture of supporting gender mainstreaming with minimal gender stereotyping by officers, particularly at operational frontline. Officers may have personal preferences but they do not consider there to be men's jobs and women's job. They see themselves as equally capable and all in it together.
Success Factor / Lessons Learned The change of posting arrangements for female officers, including posting of non-gender specific advertisements for vacancies, acts as a catalyst to a cultural change which has naturally and gradually brought in the gender mainstreaming concept in the Police Force since male officers can actually see that female officers are able to perform the job at the more or less the same standard as theirs.