Response # 12

Occupational segregation is a concern in society and the workforce. It has been shown through history that certain jobs are for certain genders. We as a society have begun to accept these terms. Some of the occupation barriers that exist are prohibited by law. There are few reasons as to why the segregation still continues to be upheld. Federal government’s employers and city employment all state they are an equal opportunity employer, which means no candidate shall be judged on the basis of the skin, age, and sex. The reason as to why so many women are not in the police force as to men can stem for the fact that women do not feel as capable to perform the job. Women who do enter the workforce that is predominantly male, often times leave due to the failure to be accepted into the career. Also, men who do pre-screening for applicants may have an ideological mind set which prevents the acceptance of a female application for further consideration. As a previous applicant for a civil service job, I believe that it has nothing to do with the qualifications that one person may possess. As I was perusing the position of a police officer trainee, through a police department in Florida, I completed all portions of the process with an overall score of 89%. I was ranked in the top 10 on the eligibility list. When it came time to offer careers I was not selected. I was only 19 yrs old at the time. Of the 11 positions that were filled none of them were under the age of 24yrs. This was also the same for women. Not one female was ranked in the top 15% of the list. This could have been due to the fact that the interview process was all completed by male officers who have been working for the department for many years. They could have an old mind set as too women are not meant to become police officers.