You're probably right about this. But a lot of improvement can be made.
And not every woman wants to have kids. And even if they do, not every woman wants to give up her career and stay at home with the kids.
Me for example, if I decide to have a baby I want to go back to work after having it. The father of the child will need to pull his weight just as much.
When it comes to having kids, women are at a 'disadvantage' because they have to carry them and give birth, but with a supportive partner there's no reason why this would have an impact on a woman's career.
At the end of the day it should be every woman's own choice what she wants to do. If she wants to be a police dog handler and she has the physical abilities to do so, there shouldn't be anything stopping her.

In principle I agree with everything you say, but the reality of it is, most woman will suffer advancement in their job due to being a mother first, yes of cause there are career woman and yes a partner who shares child care will help, but if you have to take 6/12 mths off work for maternity leave, work round school hrs , take days of for illness , and so on and so on, you are going to be passed over in work by someone who can commit more.........

Well of course there would need to be OPENINGS or VACANCIES for them even if they are qualified, same as any other profession. Just being qualified to do something doesn't mean you will get a job doing it. There are lots of people doing jobs they did not intend to go into on that account.

I understand that, to become a police dog handler, you will usually need at least three years' experience of police work before transferring to the dog section.

So first step if it is the POLICE you want to work with as a dog handler, is to qualify to become and be taken on as a serving police officer first.

And although there is no formal pre entry qualification or degree needed, it doesn't just depend on physical ability.

Some take the route of becoming PCSOs, Volunteer Police Cadets or Specials first. They also have Fast Track and Direct Entry Programmes now.

Info here on joining the Police Force
http://www.prospects.ac.uk/police_of...quirements.htm

Police dog handling is a seven year stint these days then they rotate the handlers so a love of police work is essential because most will be a police officer first and last in their career

Well that's what I was sort of trying to say - Police Officer first - the handlers are recruited from the serving Officers who want to do it.

Basically I just think it's a bit fairytale to say if a woman wants to become a police dog handler there is nothing to stop her. There are actually quite a few hurdles to leap to become a non dog handling police officer and they are not increasing numbers for recruitment in a lot of areas these days. And those waiting and wanting to join are having to take other jobs while they wait for an opening.

Opportunities are more equal these days but in some respects it is still a 'mans world' in a lot of professions.

I think more people end up in a job or career as much through accident or luck than through dedicated qualifying for a particular job. And most people will change careers during the lifetime to suit their lifestyle and family commitments or just because there is no work for what they do in the place where they want to live.

In the same way a lot of people end up living in a place they wouldn't exactly choose to live just because the work is available there.

I have to agree here. You need many years as a basic officer first, and THEN you have to find a way to beat out the male officers. How? First you have to GET the job as a P.O. and with women as less than 12% of ALL law enforcement job including lawyers and all other legal position, that itself is far harder than you're likely thinking. Then you have to hold the job for many years and rank up while doing it. Also very hard.

To get the actual job, you have must have a level of physical ability that is not naturally present in all women unlike men and you'll have to work very hard to get it (and might not be able to anyway). There is only so strong a 5'4 woman with a small bone frame can get. You also have to be twice, or even higher times as good as any male in the entire facility regarding anything else about the job. Gonna be very hard to do, I assure you.

The job is simply not geared towards women and it's very rare that you'll see it here. I think it'll be a LONG time before we actually see female K9 unit handlers out in public with the dogs etc. It doesn't happen here yet.

It does happen here. I know one lady personally (or did - have lost contact now) who is/was a handler.

It's a tough job and a scary one requiring a lot of dedication whether male or female

It does here , along with the mounted police .

There are two in our area, they exercise their police dogs on a local estate .