Your Commissioner - Your Voice

Commissioner Zoë can ask questions on your behalf in her Online Public Meeting with the Chief Constable or Chief Fire Officer. Ask your question and find out more.

8 March, 2023

Commissioner Zoë marks International Women’s Day sharing that “Women belong in all places where decisions are being made.”

Commissioner and Staff at the OPFCC pose to embrace equity on International Women's Day
Wednesday 8 March is International Women’s Day, and Commissioner Zoë is celebrating by showcasing the rising number of female leaders within her Office and reflecting on this year’s theme - #EmbraceEquity

Equality means treating everyone the same across genders, yet the overall goal behind International Women’s Day is a focus on embracing equity in order to recognise that not everyone starts from the same place, and individuals often need different things to succeed.

A helpful definition from International Women’s Day website makes this clear:

  • Equality means each individual or group of people is given the same resources or opportunities.
  • Equity recognises that each person has different circumstances, and allocates the exact resources and opportunities needed to reach an equal outcome.

Commissioner Zoë is endorsing this International Women’s Day message and asking women and allies to speak up against insensitive comments made towards women and raise awareness that not everyone has the same abilities but should be given reasonable adjustments that enable the same opportunities.

Strong female leadership is demonstrated within the Office of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner the Organisation which supports Commissioner Zoë to fulfil her statutory duties and make a positive difference for the public every day.

Through its fair and skill-based recruitment the Office of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner has a majority female workforce:

  • Overall number of staff = 27 women and 8 men
  • Executive Management Team = 3 women and 2 men
  • Senior Management Team = 8 women and 2 men
  • Other roles = 16 women and 4 men

Leading the Office of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner is the Executive Management Team, which has recently undergone a restructure and consequently appointed women in Director roles for Delivery and Assurance, Inclusivity and Public Confidence and Commissioning and Partnerships – roles which collectively drive the organisations priorities and values.

Commissioner Zoë said:

“International Women’s Day to me is a celebration of all women’s achievements and the opportunity to raise the profile globally. I’m incredibly proud to be a female Commissioner here in North Yorkshire, with a fantastic team of people supporting me who are predominantly women.

“Equity is crucial in nurturing female leaders and at the Office of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner we continue to understand the imbalances women may face and how we can provide fair opportunity in professional development.”

“I personally didn’t set out to be a leader, but I knew I wanted to make a difference to peoples lives and that a move into politics would give me the opportunities I needed to help those in similar situations to me. It hasn’t been easy, but it’s been worth it.

“Words that continue to inspire my own professional journey come from Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who said ‘Women belong in all places where decisions are being made’ – we need to cultivate and encourage female leaders from an early age and until this is embedded, women will not be where they belong.”

Commissioner Zoë and the Office of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner celebrated International Women’s Day today with staff meeting in-person to discuss the year’s theme, show their support for each other and to raise awareness of everything International Women’s Day stands for.

To make information about her Office more available to the public, Commissioner Zoë will publish a delivery plan later this month which maps out the extensive work of the Office of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner and its focus areas for 2023.

You may also be interested in