74% security professionals face gender-based discrimination: Survey

The Women in Security Survey (WISS), conducted by IIRIS Consulting in partnership with the CII Centre of Women Leadership, has revealed that 74% of security professionals face gender-based discrimination.

Based on responses from 730 security professionals, the WISS 2026 survey highlights that the representation gap remains a persistent challenge in the security sector. According to WISS 2026, 92.7% of organisations report having formal inclusion policies, flexible work arrangements or DEI frameworks in place. A majority (84.5%) of respondents said women remain underrepresented across security functions, while an overwhelming 96.8% agreed that organisations need to create more opportunities for women in these roles.

At the organisational level, the findings point to wider adoption of diversity and inclusion measures. Nearly 90% of respondents said their organisations have formal DEI policies (89.6%) and gender-neutral policy frameworks (90.7%), while 91.2% reported initiatives to address unconscious bias. Flexible work arrangements were the most widely adopted measure, with 92.7% of respondents saying such policies are in place.

Despite these gains, workplace culture remains the biggest obstacle to women's participation. 39.7% identified stereotypes and male-dominated work environments as the primary barriers preventing more women from pursuing careers in security. The findings suggest that while organisations have made progress in strengthening policies, translating them into meaningful cultural change remains an ongoing challenge.

The report identifies mentorship as the most critical intervention for improving women's representation and career progression in the security sector. 45.2% of respondents ranked mentorship as the single most important factor in helping women enter and advance in security roles, underscoring the need for structured mentoring programmes, visible role models, and stronger leadership pipelines.

The findings also reveal broad support for collective action across the industry. About 90% backed the idea of an industry-wide gender parity pledge, signalling a growing willingness among organisations to work together, set shared goals, and strengthen accountability in advancing gender diversity.

The Survey Report was launched during the India Women Leadership & Growth Summit 2026, organised in New Delhi, and featured key dignitaries, including Ms Anna Roy, Principal Economic Advisor, NITI Aayog, and Mission Director, Women Entrepreneurship Platform, Gurjit Singh, Former Ambassador of India to ASEAN, Dr Vikram Singh, Former DGP, Uttar Pradesh, along with senior leaders from industry, security, entrepreneurship and policy.

Shivani Kumar, Executive Director, CII Centre of Women Leadership, said, “Despite years of discussion around inclusion and representation, significant gaps continue to persist. Policies alone cannot drive change unless they are supported by consistent implementation, regular review and clear accountability. Organisations must move beyond a compliance-led approach and build systems that evolve with workplace realities.” 

Garry Singh, President, IIRIS Consulting, said, “If the sector is to evolve meaningfully, inclusion has to become part of how organisations build capability, not just how they frame policy. WISS 2026 is an important step towards creating the evidence base needed for more accountable industry action.”