Equality and diversity is something I have been hugely passionate about during my time as Police and Crime Commissioner of Swindon and Wiltshire.

And one important strand of that is gender equality – particularly the ongoing challenge to ensure women are represented at all levels of policing.

This week saw International Women’s Day, a timely and regular reminder to both celebrate the contribution and success of women across the world, but also push for further change to ensure more voices are heard.

Here at Wiltshire Police I am pleased and immensely proud to say that we actually have more women working here than men. Our latest figures show 1,167 women, compared to 1,119 men.

But while that is incredibly positive news and highlights our commitment to having a diverse workforce, it’s important to note that this covers police officers and police staff.

Unfortunately we continue to see an imbalance amongst our police officers. Just 36 per cent of Wiltshire police officers are female, and, although it has improved over the past decade or so (in 2008 it was just 28 per cent), this is something we continue to work hard to address.

The force is opening its next round of police officer recruitment in May and I would strongly urge women across Swindon and Wiltshire to seriously consider a career in policing.

Thankfully, the days of police forces being seen as old boys’ clubs are long gone, and modern policing strives to be fully inclusive.

This week has seen the launch of Wiltshire Police’s dedicated staff support network for women, and we already have peer support networks in place, covering topics such as pregnancy, maternity leave and menopause. But can the Force do more?

No employer is perfect.

But there is a real commitment and passion for addressing every obstacle which may stand in the way of both potential and current officers and staff. And having a diverse workforce is not just a positive thing for our employees, but also for our wider communities.

The people of Swindon and Wiltshire need to be policed by a force which reflects them.

And here I am not just talking about gender equality, but all kinds of diversity, including race, religion and sexuality.

If policing is to address the issues that we face as a society – domestic abuse, hate crime and sexual abuse to name just a few – we need police officers and staff who understand and can empathise with victims.

We all benefit from a more equal world and I’m proud to see Wiltshire Police doing its bit to help bring change.

Finally, I want to celebrate the success of all our female officers, staff and volunteers.

From our newest recruits to our highest-ranking officers, you are an inspiration to future generations of girls and women.