UK Policing renews HeForShe commitment for a further five years, building on measurable progress towards gender equality

Wednesday 22 April 2026 - Police forces across the United Kingdom convened in South Wales on 22 April 2026 for a national HeForShe event, marking a renewed phase of collaboration between UK Policing and UN Women’s HeForShe initiative. During the gathering, Chief Constable Jeremy Vaughan, UK Policing Lead for HeForShe and Chief Constable of South Wales Police, announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding extending the partnership for a further five years.

The renewal reflects nearly a decade of sustained institutional engagement to advance gender equality across UK Policing, underpinned by structured commitments, annual reporting, and cross-force collaboration.

“I am very proud of how UK Policing has responded to UN Women’s HeForShe movement over the last nine years, and it is important we continue this work. Officers and staff across the UK are driving forward change but we still have a long way to go. Renewing our relationship with UN Women ensures this activity continues and that there will be an ongoing focus on achieving gender equality in policing” - Jeremy Vaughan, HeForShe Champion & Chief Constable of South Wales Police 

From commitment to system-wide action
Since formally joining HeForShe in 2017, UK Policing has moved from initial leadership commitments to a coordinated national framework for action. By 2019, all 45 police forces across the UK had signed up to the initiative, embedding gender equality into workforce planning, organisational culture, and accountability mechanisms. By 2024, the HeForShe policing network expanded further with police forces from 6 of the British Overseas Territories making their own commitment to HeForShe.

Since the start of the partnership, UK Policing has recorded notable shifts in representation. In 2017, women were significantly underrepresented in senior leadership, with only 3 Chief Constables across the UK being women. Today, that number has risen to 16, reflecting a gradual but meaningful change in leadership composition.

Overall workforce representation has also improved; women officers have increased from 29% in 2017 to 36% in 2025. Recruitment pipelines have shown particularly strong progress, with 43% of newly recruited officers being women in recent intakes (HeForShe 2025 IMPACT Report).

Alongside representation, the partnership has increasingly focused on organizational culture and the elimination of sexism and misogyny where it exists. This includes work on parental leave policies, workplace flexibility, health-related support, and leadership development programmes, as well as improved responses to gender-based violence (VAWG) in communities (HeForShe 2024 IMPACT Report). 

The introduction of HeForShe Tactical Leads in every UK police force has strengthened implementation capacity, enabling more consistent delivery and cross-force coordination. The development of a national network for sharing good practice has supported faster diffusion of effective approaches and strengthened institutional accountability.

“UK Policing remains one of our most valued and steadfast partners. Since 2017, their leadership has demonstrated how institutional commitment, and accountability can drive meaningful change”.  - Vesna Jaric, Global Head of HeForShe for UN Women

The renewal of the partnership comes within a broader context of heightened scrutiny of policing institutions and increased public attention to violence against women and girls. UK Policing’s engagement with HeForShe reflects an acknowledgement of this complexity and the importance of sustained, transparent reform efforts within historically male-dominated systems. Rather than positioning gender equality as a standalone initiative, the partnership integrates it into core policing priorities, including workforce development, leadership accountability, and public safety outcomes. This includes strengthening responses to VAWG and ensuring that institutional culture supports trust, safety, and dignity for all communities.

The next phase: deepening impact and accelerating change
The renewed five-year MoU sets out a continued focus on three priority areas: accelerating gender parity across all ranks, embedding cultural change through sustained leadership accountability, and strengthening data-driven reporting and transparency.

UK Policing measures progress against three clear commitments. The signing of the MOU has allowed for these commitments to be refreshed. Police forces across the UK are now working towards:

• Commitment One – To address the gender imbalances across the police workforce, aiming for a proportionate representation of women across every rank and grade.

• Commitment Two – To identify and address the gender inequalities that exist within police culture. 

• Commitment Three – To support the annual reporting of gender equality information. 

While significant progress has been achieved since 2017, UK policing and UN Women recognize that structural change is long-term work. The renewed commitment reflects both the advances made and the continued need for sustained institutional focus to ensure gender equality is embedded, durable, and system-wide.

Read more of these achievements and updates in the latest Gender Equality in UK Policing Report.