Women’s contributions in the business ecosystems date back many years. From stepping out of their homes to support their families, to gradually having a passion in building a career, women have been present in all the industries since the beginning. Only in recent years, global efforts have been made to recognize the central role of women in driving sustainable economies and a stable environment. And United Nations’ International Women’s Day 2024 theme ‘Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress’ is a profound reminder of it.
Women have been performing phenomenally well in decision maker and C-suite level roles. The management skills and business talents that women bring on the table are a testimony of their value in industries through and through. And the security industry is not an exception.
In security corporations, women leadership is respected and accepted in boards, as business heads and as navigators of business growth. In the past, women often were restrained by the social taboos and confinements of family responsibilities. Even though their role was known, they were not taken as the face of corporations. Women struggled to find a place among the executive positions and prove their wit to lead big and small organizations.
- According to the Women in Workplace report 2023 by McKinsey and LeanIn.Org, the number of women holding C-Suite roles has increased to 28% in 2023, in contrast with the 2015 stats of 17%.
As the societal perspectives changed, women in leadership roles started to be seen in the positive light. A more inclusive perspective takes shape that recognizes the capability and potential of women to play a prominent part in security. This progress has been fast and steady, enabling active participation of women in leading security roles, as CISO and CSOs, and as serious entrepreneurs steering through the industry.
The inclusion of women in security, intelligence and law enforcement has been increasing over time. The growing investment in diversity, breaking free of biases, and accepting women at the top positions, have been turning points in the quest to attain inclusivity.
- Over 13% of Ministers of Defense globally are women.
Over time, women have proven to be more and more effective at their tasks, and the evolution of their roles has proved to be magnificent. This transformation not only brings about diversity within the workforce, but it also enhances the efficiency of security operations by combining more talents and dynamics.
Digitization of security processes has opened up technology-powered avenues of surveillance and control. Integration of physical and cyber security by applying both on-ground surveillance techniques and visionary management through remote control is becoming more and more prevalent. As a result of this, women are coming forward to be part of ideation and execution of security protocols.
- In contrast to women holding only 10% of roles in security in 2013, the percentage rose up to 20% and 25% in 2019 and 2022 respectively.
In the light of changing security threats, the industry is gaining the consciousness that only unified efforts, irrespective of ethnicity and gender orientation, can be effective in resolving such threats.
Women in Security at RecFaces
At RecFaces, women are the key thought leaders driving through the security domain. We are proudly led by female Directors of Business Development, in all the regions. Valerie Lapteva exhibiting her leadership in the APAC region, Eugenia Marina driving business growth in the MENA region and Maria Kazhuro heading the LATAM market. These women portray the immense value that women bring to the security sector. In the field that has been traditionally man-handled, our BDDs believed in the change that women leadership can bring and have committed themselves to gender equality and business excellence.
Valerie has demonstrated exceptional business sense and managerial skills, from executing numerous projects in the challenging Latin American and Asia-Pacific regions in the past, to taking on an active role in both development and implementation of biometric solutions. It includes the techniques of face recognition for CCTV and access control systems, exploring the possibilities of such techniques in order to develop all pervasive security solutions. Her pragmatic experience in overseeing biometric projects and active participation in industry platforms showcase her dedication to ensuring comprehensive customer satisfaction.
Eugenia is able to blend her technical knowledge with great communication skills perfectly enabling her to manage responsibilities of great importance flawlessly. She is active across the entire range of services which include initial contact, training webinars, and after sales services and as a result, customers get the experience that is personalized and interactive. Eugenia brings revolutionary business thought and unmatched expertise to the security sector. As a professional, Eugenia is able to cope with different business challenges gracefully. Executing facial biometrics in airports, subway systems, and government bodies has been possible, thanks to her management.
As the Business Development Director for the LATAM region, Maria has always evidenced her commitment in pushing the RecFaces vision forward. Maria’s primary goal is to help the company to increase its sales internationally and reach a wide audience. With successful projects executed across Latin America, her solution-driven approach, strategic operational management and close attention to customer needs, makes her a unique addition to our star-studded women talenthouse.
Women success stories like these invigorate and ignite the aspirations of women across the sector to welcome leadership roles and reject the constraints arising from traditional ideas.
Shedding light at the meaningful role of women in decision making, is extremely important to creating an environment for a more sustainable growth. Talent as the foundation and inclusivity as the pillar of modern businesses allows unprecedented growth and success. The security industry landscape over the years is visualizing women as serious entrepreneurs and leading the way to business in security. At the current pace, the women workforce in the security industry is expected to stand globally at 35% by 2031. Women’s journey in security has been demonstrating the power of resilience and determination, striking the deeply-rooted social biases that limited their involvement in important fields.
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Rebecca Morpeth Spayne,
Editor, Security Portfolio
Tel: +44 (0) 1622 823 922
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