Degerstedt Frida, Akpinar Sahibe, Fältman Karin, Granholm Valmari Elin
Community Medicine and Rehabilitation, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
Vocational Rehabilitation for Employment, Swedish Public Employment, Linköping, Sweden.
BMC Public Health. 2025 Aug 1;25(1):2604. doi: 10.1186/s12889-025-23839-1.
Policing has traditionally been viewed as a masculine domain, which may influence how the job is perceived. While female police officers currently constitute an increasing part of the workforce, policing remains a male-dominated field globally, and gender-related challenges persist. The current study explores how female police officers in Sweden navigate the gendered norms and physical challenges they face.
Semi-structured and cognitive interviews were conducted with 11 female Swedish police officers. Reflexive thematic analyses, as described by Braun and Clarke, were employed to analyse the data. The methods and results were reported in accordance with qualitative reporting standards.
The findings are presented through one overarching theme: 'Challenges with policing in a man's world: Gendered expectations and physical realities', describing how female officers in Sweden navigate physical and psychological demands in a profession designed for male bodies, finding creative solutions while facing ill-fitting equipment, physical strain, and challenges related to pregnancy and recovery. They also balance their roles as women, romantic partners, and mothers while managing the unique demands of policing and shift work. The results are separated into the following themes: 'Fitting the female body and mind into a traditionally male profession' and 'The dual identity: A police officer and a woman'.
Swedish female police officers navigate physical demands, gendered expectations, and work-life imbalance in a male-dominated profession. While resourceful in managing these challenges, the findings highlight the need for structural reforms. Even in gender-progressive contexts, women continue to face double burdens and unequal expectations. Hence, the findings serve as applicable both nationally and internationally, and promoting equity and inclusion is crucial for the well-being and sustainability of female officers.
警务工作传统上被视为男性领域，这可能会影响人们对该工作的认知。虽然目前女性警官在警力中所占比例日益增加，但在全球范围内，警务工作仍然是男性主导的领域，与性别相关的挑战依然存在。本研究探讨了瑞典的女性警官如何应对她们所面临的性别规范和身体挑战。
对11名瑞典女性警官进行了半结构化访谈和认知访谈。采用布劳恩和克拉克所描述的反思性主题分析法对数据进行分析。研究方法和结果按照定性报告标准进行报告。
研究结果通过一个总体主题呈现：“在男性主导的世界中从事警务工作的挑战：性别期望与身体现实”，描述了瑞典的女性警官如何在一个为男性身体设计的职业中应对身体和心理需求，在面对不合身的装备、身体疲劳以及与怀孕和恢复相关的挑战时找到创造性的解决方案。她们还在履行警务和轮班工作的独特要求的同时，平衡自己作为女性、浪漫伴侣和母亲的角色。结果分为以下主题：“让女性的身心适应传统男性职业”和“双重身份：警官与女性”。
瑞典女性警官在男性主导的职业中应对身体需求、性别期望和工作与生活的失衡问题。尽管她们在应对这些挑战时足智多谋，但研究结果凸显了进行结构性改革的必要性。即使在性别观念进步的环境中，女性仍然面临双重负担和不平等的期望。因此，这些研究结果在国内和国际上都具有适用性，促进公平和包容对于女性警官的福祉和可持续发展至关重要。
