I brought a couple of items to show you afterwards if you want to look at them, just for fun.
About five years ago, the late former commissioner Maurice Nadon told me a story from May 1974, when he announced the RCMP would be accepting applications from women to become regular members. It created quite a stir at the time. The first group of 32 females arrived at the RCMP training academy in September 1974. He said that these poor women must have felt as if they were under a microscope. He recalled that the biggest concerns of the day were what would the females wear and what would happen when one of them got pregnant? He also noted, though, it did not take long for us to see how important they were. And, as he smiled at me, he said, I knew all along that we needed women in this organization. He was so proud to be the person who made it happen.
These women along with all the other females that followed continued to evolve within the organization. It amazes me that these dates are not that long ago. In 1981, the first female was promoted to corporal and that same year a woman joined the Musical Ride for the first time. In 1987, the first woman was posted overseas and, three years later, the first woman became the head of a detachment. The organization commissioned our first female officers in 1992, and a female was appointed assistant commissioner for the first time in 1998. And certainly a proud moment for all of us was in 2007, when Beverly Busson was appointed as the first female commissioner.
The hiring of women in Canada and all of these firsts not only had a significant impact on the RCMP and other police forces, but also contributed to the changing role of women in the workplace. Very important milestones continue to be reached and will continue for years to come. In September 2009, the RCMP celebrated 35 years of women in policing.
Given this history and the inroads we've achieved, the RCMP--and certainly not I--do not consider policing as a non-traditional career choice for women. In recruiting, we feel that attracting women to the policing career is the same as attracting men. Police work is not for everyone. It is not a nine-to-five job. You will work shifts and odd hours. You will miss family events and have to work during the holidays. And you will definitely be subjected to difficult situations. However, for those seeking a job unlike any other, policing is very attractive and appealing work. Regardless of gender, policing takes a certain type of personality. We are fortunate that the RCMP has been able to attract great women and men across Canada.
There are many misconceptions about what it means to become a police officer and we want to ensure that these misconceptions are debunked, and that everyone is making an informed choice as to whether or not policing is for them. We do this by having our recruiting teams across Canada continue to hold women-only career events, and showcasing recruiting images that highlight female police officers at work. Recruiters report that the largest concerns raised by potential female applicants are work-life balance, competitive salaries, mobility, and exposure to traumatic situations.
Police work is physically demanding, and therefore it is extremely important to achieve and maintain a high level of fitness. Our training program is designed to prepare all cadets for the demands of policing. Our female members, including myself, who volunteer to speak to recruits, are our best ambassadors. A one-on-one conversation with a member of the RCMP is often the most powerful influence for these young women.
My strongest example of this is my own 19-year-old daughter who wants to join. She is just completing a two-year police foundations college course.
As a young female, measuring five feet two inches, and weighing 110 pounds, my daughter knows she is capable and competent to be a strong police officer. She knows she can be successful at reaching her full potential in the RCMP as she has watched me, and she has watched my husband, who is also a police officer, raise three children together, all while having exciting careers.
All of our national advertising campaigns feature women performing a variety of policing duties in many different scenarios. We showcase that joining the RCMP provides a “career nowhere near ordinary”.
Other successful initiatives include the National Women's Advisory Committee, which allows the concerns of women to be heard and respected.
The committee has completed surveys at the regional and divisional levels, polling employees about the issues that are top of mind for them. Initial results indicate that women are looking for more leadership training opportunities and access to mentors at all levels of the organization. This information is invaluable in developing programs for women that will be helpful and address their concerns.
Also, by 2016, the Conference Board of Canada estimates that Canada could be short about one million workers due to an aging population and declining birth rates. This means that it is crucial we remain competitive with other police forces in order to attract new recruits and retain our existing officers.
The RCMP provides a variety of benefits aimed at encouraging a healthy work-life balance for our employees such as parental leave, care and nurturing leave or part-time opportunities. These programs are open and used by all employees.
Also, the current non-commissioned officer promotion process was introduced in 2006 and is a competency-based tool. The tool brings more qualified candidates to the table, as larger pools of people now qualify to apply for promotions. Candidates are able to apply based on their acquired competencies rather than their years of experience, regardless of gender.
Despite our success in attracting women, the RCMP is aware that it must continue to improve when it comes to attracting, retaining, and promoting women. We are taking a proactive approach to promote diversity within our programs at the executive and officer levels. The RCMP is committed to offer diverse opportunities for women.
More importantly, our organization has made it a top priority to continue to develop initiatives, policies and benefits that encourage women to consider employment with Canada's national police force.
Thank you.