Gender, Representation, and Policy Outcomes: Analysing the Role of Elected Executive Actors at the Local Level

Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) in England and Wales operate at the local level and are directly elected executive actors, with their own (small) bureau and oversight of policing strategy and senior appointments. Introduced in 2012, this system replaced police committees comprised of local government councillors. Our quantitative research has established that women PCCs are more likely to prioritise policies that address violence against women and girls (VAWG). PCCs, male or female, who take a broad interpretation of their statutory gender equality duties are also more likely to make VAWG a priority (e.g. making specialist appointments). This paper analyses new qualitative data in order to better understand the relationship between descriptive and substantive representation of women in policing policy. Through case study interviews, we look at how a sample of male and female PCCs work with other non-elected institutional actors - inside their bureau, in operational policing, in the women's movement, and in central government - to develop and implement VAWG policies. We problematize the role of actors' own gender, exploring the different ways in which masculinities and femininities map onto the sex of key actors, and how this interacts with wider institutional contexts.