Women in Security

Women in Security – Shifting the gender balance.

Women in the security industry are shifting the gender balance and the perception of a predominantly male-orientated industry by taking on more diverse roles. Positive cultural change is turning stereotypes around and providing real career pathways for females.
Statistics provided by state regulators show that in New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory and South Australia around 10% of the security industry is made up of women whilst in Tasmania and Queensland the figures are slightly higher at around 14%. The types of licenses they typically hold include general guarding, crowd control and unarmed security officers. However, this is changing as the industry grows and evolves, with new opportunities being created for women.

ASIAL’s Marketing and Communication Manager asks female influencers in the security industry to provide insight on their own experience, how they got started, what it means to be part of the industry, and what are the challenges and opportunities developing for women.

Janine Hill
General Manager Business Development, MSS Security & ASIAL VIC Convenor
Years in the industry
20
General views
We need more of them. In the field, women are sometimes able to diffuse a situation of heightened emotions more effectively. In the office, women are able to bring a different, sometimes more customer/employee focused perspective.
Challenges
Women are often stereotyped as the Admin/HR or marketing person and sometimes it takes time to establish operational credibility. As a working mum it can be difficult to find flexible working conditions and therefore obtain the experience necessary to move on to more senior roles.
Opportunities
Endless in the right company – public and private sector.
Potential career paths
My view on a career path would be the same as for males. Women can do anything they want to and the path depends on what that is. For example, if you want to be a Security Manager of an airport you might start as an aviation screener or a client account manager.
Changes over the past 5-10 years
There has been an increased willingness for organisations to be flexible although this is not backed by a true understanding of what that means. Generally a woman needs to prove herself as a trusted employee before a business would consider flexible conditions. Other changes include an increased focus on growing female participation in the private security and more women employed in senior positions within the corporate sector.

Chevelle Millhouse
ACT Manager, Wilson Security & ASIAL ACT Convenor
Years in the industry
11
General views
My advice to women entering the security industry is to seek mentorship early on in your career. When you first start out it can be challenging to find your voice working in a male dominated industry. Throughout my career I have continuously cultivated and maintained strong relationships with colleagues within my organisations that have provided ongoing professional advice and support. Look externally for mentorship and use your industry networks, such as the Australian Women in Security Network (AWSN).  For women who are further advanced in their careers I believe we each have a responsibility to advocate for women in our industry; as our presence grows so does our ability to contribute positively to increasing diversity within our organisations.
Challenges
Overall the industry provides a wide range of rostering arrangements for security officers however there can be obstacles for women due to the operational inability to provide flexible working arrangements in certain roles. On a broader scale there can also be challenges faced with lack of gender diversity. Often females will be outnumbered by males and there can be an underlying assumption that you need to be ‘one of the boys’ to fit in.  When working in the industry it is important to choose an organisation that actively seeks and promotes diversity in the workforce.
Opportunities
All opportunities and career paths that are available to men are also available to women in the security industry. The challenge for employers is how to attract more females and retain them within their organisations.  Outside of the industry we can be perceived as a traditionally male sector and this can create barriers for potential candidates considering entry. Whilst there has been progress within the sector in acknowledging the need for greater gender diversity more work needs to be done externally as an industry to make it more attractive for female entrants.
Changes over the past 5-10 years
Over the last decade the heightened security environment has underpinned significant change within the industry. Growth in the sector has provided greater diversity in the opportunities available for employees both entering the industry and throughout their career progression.  As the landscape has shifted there has been a notable change in value placed on the various skill sets held by security personnel. While previously there was a focus on hiring staff with security experience or military backgrounds soft skills are now at the forefront of recruitment activities. Competencies in high demand are customer service related and organisations are actively seeking new entrants with experience in industries that have a much higher female workforce such as the retail sector.  The increased appetite for soft skills has contributed to attracting a higher number of women into security roles.

Rachell DeLuca
Senior Security Consultant, Arup & 2017 OSPA award winner for Outstanding Security Consultant
Years in the industry
20
General views
Women are a great asset to the security industry and are capable of excelling in all job functions.
Exposure to female inspirational leaders early on in my career showed me that a career in security was possible, as well being able to achieve the success and fulfilment that I desired. 
Challenges
The main challenge to women, I believe, lays in the stereotypical view of the security industry – that it is mainly male and filled with former law enforcement officers.  This is not the case. However, the stereotype does persist. Dedicated and professional women are needed in the security industry to drive the changes that we want for security in the future. The industry and attitudes towards women working within it have changed dramatically in the past 20 years.
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.
Potential career paths
There are now more opportunities available within the industry. The great thing is the ability to move through different job functions and develop your knowledge and understanding of the industry as a whole.  Personally, I started my career working in control room operations, then moved into customer service and technical support. I worked in security and fire safety training and then progressed into my first consulting role whilst still working toward my Bachelor’s Degree.  Having hands-on experience in those earlier roles is beneficial in my day to day work, and I’ve forged a number of professional relationships from across the industry.
My advice to anyone starting a career in security is to ask questions and forge good working relationships will colleagues and superiors. My other advice is to get involved with the industry.  I am involved with ASIS and ASIAL and have an opportunity to shape the direction of things to come.
Changes over the past 5-10 years
There are two main trends I’ve witnessed during my career. The first is the change in attitude toward security services, both from the general public and from clients in general.  The challenging times we live in have seen client security budgets go from being a ‘nice to have’ item to a necessity, which in turn has raised the profile of security services overall, and of the profession in general.  The other trend I’ve witnessed is rapid changes in technology and the way that electronic systems today can integrate into so many other systems.  Advancements in technology are creating new ways of thinking for technical designers, and we have to re-think the old rules about the ‘silo’ approach and stand-alone security networks, to consider VLANs, shared infrastructure and cloud based storage. 

Louise Christie
Owner/Director, ART Security Pty Ltd & member of the ASIAL’s VIC State Reference Group
Years in the industry
35
General views
There are now a number of women entering the industry both at a management and operational level. It is very different to when I first entered the industry as a ‘lone ranger’. Unfortunately it appears these newcomers are mainly located in the manpower sector. Women are very suited to operational and management level roles in the technical sector.
Challenges
Perception of the industry and the lack of knowledge of the opportunities. For both men and women the lack of appropriate formal training in the technical sector is a great challenge with the system being difficult to navigate.
Opportunities
Vast. In the technical sector the components are small, light and easily managed. The work is relatively clean and mentally quite challenging. 
Potential career paths
Vast. We are an industry that has a shortage of experienced and educated managers. We resort to people who have worked their way up and have no formal management experience or training. This is particularly evident in the manpower sector and in the areas of OH&S and judicial requirements. Sadly with these operators the dollar rules rather than the quality of performance by themselves and their staff.
Lack of training opportunities and the related salary levels are unable to attract a quality person to the industry. This particularly applies to the manpower sector due to an ongoing fight to the bottom to win contracts by security management and the lack of regard for security services by consumers.
Changes over the past 5-10 years
Immense in the technical sector - often changing and difficult to keep abreast of. 

Rachaell Saunders
CEO, National Protective Services & ASIAL Board Member
Years in the industry
32
General views
Women are needed in the security industry. It is a fantastic industry to be involved in and there is a job for everyone.
Challenges
The main obstacle for women outside the industry is not understanding the broad nature of what security is and therefore, the diverse jobs open to them. Women may not know that security companies are always looking to employ females and their contribution is valued.
Opportunities
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 allows people to work while studying right through to semi-retirement. There are many security roles where women are valued.  
Potential career paths
The industry is open to women entering at all levels. They could start as a security officer or at a management level. There are no barriers to women entering or progressing within the industry.  
Changes over the past 5-10 years
In the past there was a perception that a good security officer needed to be tall and strong which usually meant being male. Now it is well accepted that the role of security is broad and the skill set required varies depending on the role being performed. There is no one profile of a perfect security officer.
When I started over 30 years ago security was not seen as a career; it was something people did as a second job or after they left their chosen career. Now the security industry is much broader and a fantastic career path for anyone. It is a changing industry that is expanding and will always be needed. 
ASIAL’s Annual Security Industry Awards for Excellence includes an award that recognises gender diversity in management and leadership roles.