Policewomen find satisfaction, but worry about work and family balance

The majority of local female police officers are satisfied with their current jobs, but many worry about the difficulties of balancing work and family life, according to the results of an opinion poll released yesterday.

The survey of randomly selected policewomen, conducted by opposition People First Party (PFP) Legislator Chin Hui-chu (秦慧珠) in connection with the advent of Police Day, found that 70 percent of the respondents said they were content with their jobs.

Chin sent out a total of 1,082 copies of a questionnaire early this month and collected 750 valid replies from female police officers from around the nation.

Eighty percent of the respondents said their families are supportive of their job; but more than 60 percent confessed that they often worry about their inability to balance their work and family life.

Other worries cited by survey respondents included work stress and personal safety.

Meanwhile, 50 percent said they felt a great amount of job stress; nearly 40 percent said they were worried about difficulties getting promotions or changing to other police positions; and 73 percent said they feel that their capabilities were more likely to be overlooked than those of their male counterparts.

Nearly 80 percent of female police officers also said they feel that they are more likely to face sex discrimination in seeking promotions than their male counterparts.

About 64 percent said they have either often or occasionally thought about switching to another profession.

Analyzing the survey findings, Chin said that police work is tough and that police officers often endure a lot of unseen hardships in fighting crime and maintaining law and order.

"Moreover, female police officers often face an even greater amount of stress on the job than their male counterparts," Chin said.