Women in Industry #14: Satia Rai

Diversity and inclusivity are vital for the industry's growth, acknowledging the crucial importance of promoting gender diversity and inclusivity.

Hosted by Marie Tyler and powered by OrangeDoor, in partnership with IPSA and DARE - the Women In Industry series shines a spotlight on the journeys, perspectives and impact of women across the industry.

Episode 14: Satia Rai – IPSA

Giving 8 Million Women a Voice: The Power of Women in Protective Services (WIPS)

A movement to unite, amplify, and elevate the voices of women across protective services.

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:00

Welcome to the Women in Industry Podcast. I'm Marie Diane Tyler, and this series was recorded live at the security event in partnership with Ibsen and Death, powered by Orange Dorf, an unbridled company. Let's get into it. Okay, we are recording. Well, obviously, saving the best till last. That's alright. She's like, Can I bring that's all right? Um TRI needs no introduction, really. Oh my god. So a year ago, me and you, oh my god, what was that all about? Getting to know each other, bringing me into Ips uh, massive Jenny, I've got big thanks to you for what you've done, and it's very poignant to the point that we're covering here today, which is for you giving eight million women a voice and the the power of women in the protective services. And although I suppose I'm not someone specifically on the front line, I'm very proud to be part of what you're doing as part of this wider group to empower that force. I know everyone will be what this will be 100% the most watched and listened to session because what you have to say is so powerful. You've been listened to by the press, your organisers here who are literally planning the frickin' agenda around your insights and your suggestions because of what you do and how well connected you are and how you listen and empower and uplift everybody. I don't know what else I can say apart from you are a frickin' legend. Thank you for being here. Tell me what the latest mission is, and maybe just a quick intro, even though they should all know who you are, but for the purpose of the wider outside world that we are appealing to to come into our industry, who's the TRI?

SPEAKER_01 1:43

Oh my goodness, Marie. I've had many introductions that that has to be to be. You sweet that has to be one of the most uh heartwarming and humbling, and because you know me, you know, uh you know me like nobody else, and um uh and it's um it's almost a given now. I've come back on the third day.

SPEAKER_02 2:13

Which you don't always have time to do.

SPEAKER_01 2:14

I can honestly specifically because of the work that you're doing and the voices that are getting heard, um, and that will get heard and get uh magnified across not just these three days, but uh tomorrow, the day after, the next month, the next year, etc. It'll be it's something that you're doing will I'm thinking um it will last for it'll be a legacy, it'll last for good, and your children, specifically your daughter, will look back and think, that's my mum, that's my badass mum. That is gonna make me good. Sorry, Maria. Honestly, you did it that introduction just uh touched me more than anything. So look, for anybody that does not know me, my name's Satia, right? And I'm CEO of the International Professional Security Association. And um my day job is um uh chief operating officer for leverage security. Many people don't even realise. You put them on the map, mate.

SPEAKER_02 3:13

And they're lovely people as well.

SPEAKER_01 3:15

They are, aren't they, Marie? I mean, um my MD was here yesterday and the team have come throughout uh three days, and I could never have lived my dream um if it hadn't been for them picking up uh uh, you know, uh a lot of the work, the what's needed and taking it on and you know just getting on with the day job and etc. at uh leverage and so on, and it's just yeah, it's just being special and I that's the power of SMEs. Uh Marie, they are, you know, I know I will get back to the answer at some point, but the when I talk about SMEs, you just they are the heartbeat. I don't think I can, you know, not ever work for a it's a little family-run business, it's just a heartbeat. And me personally, I support that in everything that I do. So even when I'm at home, when I have my bathroom refit and I get anything dying around the house, I I always look at it as local businesses and it's brilliant. You know, the personal touch that you get. Even the local um uh traders that done my bathroom refit last year are friends and colleagues of mine, so they tell me when they're going on holiday. So but look, um sorry my voice is a bit croaky because as you can imagine, I have I have, I have so um so look, you know I wear uh various hats and and they all mean uh so much um to me, and specifically women in protective services were set up for inspirational women.

SPEAKER_02 4:48

And if you're not following, get on the LinkedIn page because more and more content will be coming through that WIPS.

SPEAKER_01 4:54

Yeah, absolutely. It's just a start of that journey, Marie, but it was set up because of inspirational women like you, and you say you made reference to the front line, you're absolutely right about the front line, but who's been on the front line of of this, all of this the last three days, the months before it, the months after it, then we've got the international security expert, and etc. And it continues and so on, is you, so please, you know.

SPEAKER_02 5:19

Thank you for letting me in letting me.

SPEAKER_01 5:21

Thank you. Thank you for letting me in. This is your but your direction, eh?

SPEAKER_02 5:26

You're very good at that, and I love the fact that you're very humble like that and very modest about what you do. And that's probably what appeals to a lot of the people like myself and others around you, and why we want to do what we want to do because you're the way you do that. So thank you for being like that.

SPEAKER_00 5:39

Yeah, sorry, this is a good thing. You're trying not to get distracted, you're gonna have a hundred fans coming by and be like, stay back.

SPEAKER_01 5:45

But um look, the women in protective services concept, um, I've been thinking about it for a little while because um, you know, we work uh alongside our colleagues in policing, we work alongside our colleagues in fire, um, border control, and emergency services. It goes on and I'm thinking, hang on, um let me let me do a bit of work around this. What does it look like? And I then got to meet women from the front line, and they've got exceptional stories like, you know, Mike and our whole International Women's Day celebration this year was around women in protective services. That's so powerful. That oh my goodness, Marie. I mean, it's just there wasn't a dry eye in the house. I know, and it was and it was so different, different journeys, different stories, and um and I thought this is I've been thinking about it for a little while. It started now, it's uh very much at the uh infancy stage of of uh where it needs to be and so on, but the concept is there and it will grow. Um watch this space for more and so on. But um you you we heard the power of bringing them uh uh sectors all together, and all the women that I spoke to across these sectors were like, this is brilliant, we're bought into it, we love it. Um equally, you know, we know about the stories in the frontline. I've you know, we heard we've heard some in the last um we've heard some in the last two days, but I've got it all, it's all boiled up because I see it, I go out, I'm amongst it. You know, I was you lived it. Yeah, I I've lived it, you know, much, much, you know, uh like it was a long time ago when I was on the front line. But you know I do the Boots and the Grand campaign, which is I was at the project concert, Beyoncé concert, but you know I do that to stay related, and and when I see what you know our frontline do um uh uh out there, is it absolutely incredible? But in terms of the women in protective services piece, no one has ever joined that up. And they say women in fire, women in this sector, so we should be bringing it all together. And I thought, let me just do a rough estimate of how many you know incredible women that are out there that whether they have just um um uh removed a woman out of a violent situation in the home with uh with policing, or whether it's a firefighter, woman firefighter that's just taking a kid out of a blazing fire, and whether it's um frontline security officer that has just talked a um a vulnerable adult off the edge of a car parking, etc. Um, we've got to bring them all together. We've gotta A, give them the the uh space, give them the platform, give them a voice, and we've got to hear from them. And and I thought, let me just see, you know, what's the estimate? How many, how many actually, what what we're talking about numbers worldwide, it's a bit hard to estimate because some uh countries don't, and you know, uh the data that they claim is a little bit hit and miss, it's not as good as we have, um probably here or in other parts of the world. And it's about it's an estimated eight million women. And I thought to myself, wow, when we talk about legacy, me and you, Marie, and you with your kids, me and my niece Maya, who's been like, oh Marie, she goes, she knew I was gonna be on Good Morning Brett, and she said, Can you make sure you shout out for me? Can you do a shout out for me? So I'm gonna do a shout out for her on here. Her name's Maya Chong Krium, and I think she's I'm gonna find out from Kate what school she's at. She goes, Can you tell them? And when are you on? Can I see it, please? Can you tell them? Can I come in? You know that moment you have, and I was thinking when I was on that Zoom page if she wipes up and comes in, and I thought, oh, honestly, but um so uh you know I I want and not just the existing women that gotta make sure that they're scenes, their stories, their highlights, but equally their challenges, their ups, their downs.

SPEAKER_02 9:48

Um you don't need to listen to those, you then actually though, right? So what do we need to do about it?

SPEAKER_01 9:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 9:53

Actually tackling those, finding ways to overcome those barriers. You're not just shining a light on the issues, you're actually then putting those steps in place and connecting the right people to go, right, so then let's challenge that. And that is powerful.

SPEAKER_01 10:07

And you know, you like you say, you know, Marie, you and and we are we we I think to myself, you know, uh that the purpose piece, you know, since finding my purpose, which is all about giving back, you know, you know, as a I'm a you know, proud, gay Sikh woman, and um the values that my mum and dad taught me about giving back and community, you know, and and see about it means service in in in in in in uh in in Punjabi. And um uh I just live by that and our legacy and what we do is has to be all about giving back, it has to be all about empowering others, and it has to be about giving the voice to others and what you've seen over the three days, what you know, when you when you actually look at that, what the 19 group and Peter Jones and Tristan and Maggie and Carly, all of the team, there's so many, Nathan, Mark, honestly, there that's what they're doing through this um through this event, which is obviously, you know, and think about it, and I go, 2009, I keep going off tangent because things keep coming into my mind that I go, 2019. Can you believe that this is what they have done in seven years, made it the largest in Europe? Personally, I would even say, you know, you could the world, I've I've said that outright that when I what I saw yesterday and today on the third day and on the first day was but what I my measure and your measure is the joy, the happiness, the smiles. You know, I I was thinking about putting this in my post. The amount of hugs that I've given out over these last three days has probably broken more record and they were that's for all of us.

SPEAKER_00 12:02

We could just have a queuing system for hugs. You could dedicate about an hour a day to just give the hugs.

SPEAKER_01 12:07

We all do, we all do that now, they don't we we all and um and there was there was queues, but you know, about the women in protective services, what you know, and we're going to you know there's going to be we're going to be setting it up with ambassadors and so on. For now, we've set up the page on LinkedIn. Um please follow it, and I've and I decided it, and and and you know, this is your influence about that, you know, it's not going to be exclusive the page just for women. No, because I'm sitting in front of you because some of the incredible male alloys that have helped and supported me on my journey. They have to be very much part of that. So they'll be they'll have the opportunity to share updates and stories about their female colleagues and and um how what you know the role that they've played in terms of um uh you know how they've supported them and how they um uh not just and and and that word the term allyship. I was at an event uh two weeks ago, Marie, and you know I never ever heard anybody describe it as as um you know the word allyship is it's more than allyship. You can't refer yourself as an ally. It's the person so yeah, if I'm you call you, if I'm your ally, you should be it should be you saying to say, not the because that's when you know that actually you've gone above and beyond, not because that's how I now feel absolutely they should be the judge, and that's the power. I've never ever looked at it like that, and I can and you can say that look the uh the male allies that we both have in our world, both have on uh the subordinate in our respective work spaces is incredible, and you know um I I could I couldn't, you know. I've been I was you know, all the things I had to do, things I've done I've never done this week, which is the radio shows. Uh I don't know how you've done it.

SPEAKER_02 14:12

Some of them is, some of them elsewhere. I think well they did you have to go out of Birmingham as well. Were you in London? I've done it. Right. Where have you been?

SPEAKER_01 14:18

Oh god Marie on TV.

SPEAKER_02 14:19

Do you even remember so many things? So God, it's like but you always make yourself available for these things, and that's enough thing. And I know you and I have spoken many a time before where you've had to you've had times where you have had to try, try to pause because you've got to find some headspace for your own your own self and the very famous Kaylee as well, who I know is also a very important part, not just of your life, but also of Ipsa as well. I mean, both of you put so much into it, and I know the rest of us on the board will recognise that and feel that, and everyone outside of that fucking skin starting to go now. Or just F-bombs. I've only managed to do about five of those over all of these, and it's because then I get emotional.

SPEAKER_01 15:01

It happened massively. I cannot, you know, I used to come into these spaces and none of these convers. Do you remember? Oh no, it was just like I yeah, it was and I'd be like, oh, I can you believe I'd come in and I'd be so uncomfortable, oh I don't know anybody. I want my I never had a me to they wouldn't have seen the fool you straight away because you just think, oh, that's not what you do. Yeah, and and and and the amount of conversations, even when people do come out and they're like, you know, we've got some imposter syndrome, and I'm like, oh my god, and we we have to take that one on board and say, look, lean into it, don't worry, come on board, come on, come into the space, the stand, it's all yours, it's for you, and etc. and so on. And um, but look, you know, I can't uh talk about uh uh what I'm doing and some of the achievements this week, like you said, BBC West Midlands Radio, Maya Khan, again South Asian presenter as my first ever uh um radio uh conversation, and it was for the fellow South Asian, really, really empowering. She was wonderful, and I met a security officer there. You're not gonna believe it, he was brilliant, he was absolutely excellent, and I signed him up.

SPEAKER_00 16:10

He's an he's a member of Ipsida, honestly. Of course she did. He said, I hope you're going to be safe. Just be prepared if you have a conversation with her. If you're not already a member, you will be one by the end of that conversation. I went up, and by the time I come down, he found out he saw what I was doing and accepted, and he loved it. And then why wouldn't you, by the way?

SPEAKER_02 16:27

Because it isn't just a tick box exercise, by the way. There is a lot that then happens when you do that.

SPEAKER_01 16:32

Yeah, absolutely. I mean, you know, they'll get um uh uh various, you know, that the postnominal piece is nice because you feel like you're part of a community, you feel like you have a voice, and you know, I know what post nominals after your name. I used to always think, what are these? These seem they must be important for them to be empowering. This is great, this is wonderful, they and and etc. Now that I've got various after my name, but if I'd known back then what it was about, it's about it's about community, it's about your achievements, it was about um recognition for what you've done at what level and then etc. And that that education is so so important. So that's what I did Monday. I'd done all these updates, so you know, I had to embed them into my diary Monday, Monday, Monday night, BBC Radio in Birmingham Live. Wow. Um and and Marie, the pitch was with all of this was um was making it about women, women on the front line, women in leadership and etc. and so on. And it was about you know perceptions of the sector and um it was about you know the us using outdated terms like balance. I mean, I I mean I hate using the term and I this is in uh in my in my uh vocabulary that's it that's it's just as um it's deemed as a swear word because we're not living in that world where it's about macho masculinity, um when actually it's disproportionate to the job that we do. We we're got things on and out, you know. That's how you know Jenny, brilliant uh journalist who's been brilliant, who set all this up for me, has um helped supported and pitched this in the mainstream media that actually um it's not bouncer, it isn't about that, it's not about that. And when actually you strip it back, the skill set needed is is is 90% of the skill set is is based on the data that's out there from venues, it may varying venues, it's all about de-escalation, communication, diffusion, talking and etc., um a risk analysis and so on of a situation. Actually, and then you come into the realm of 10% where there may be ejections or there may be some physical impact. Why would you call it answer when actually 90% of the role is is uh is interaction? Absolutely, and that is why women are so successful, and that is, you know, that's how we pitch this to get some of them frontline stories out around why women, and equally what does that do, Maureen? It women see women, right, and they're going out on a night out, they feel they feel, oh, this is yeah, they're a hundred, they they they they get that engagement straight away. I know that because I was there on a uh um um with one of our members last week at a major uh concert in London, and um the engagement from the females, and and then they approach you throughout the night, you know, is there's a toilet or you don't feel so great, and etc. and so on. It is it's just on another level, and equally uh who better to see a woman a vulnerable a woman in a vulnerable situation, etc., or get them a taxi home, or they've lost their friends, or they've lost their phone, etc. Other women recognise that, um, but uh and actually the feedback from the male colleagues is that probably find it a blessing from their own. They do, they say they absolutely that's it.

SPEAKER_02 19:56

We're not saying it's women instead of men, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 19:59

We need both. Absolutely, it's it's it's about having it's about having that balance. I'm sure there'll be times when actually there will be a requirement, uh, but that is the minority piece around it, and that's why um it's uh you know that 11% of women that are are on the front line. We've got to drive that. It's good to know that actually then when it comes to management and leadership that goes up to about 28 to 30 percent, which is wonderful. We need to continue on that path, but equally, women on the front line, it's about 48,000, 50,000 um uh women. I want that my shout-out today, another shout-out, it's got to be uh for them because what they do day in, day out, uh their careers, some a lot of them, their mothers, their sisters, and etc. and so on. But this is this is um yeah, this is about them, this is for them. I do this wholeheartedly, and I never, you know, I never ever walk past the security profession ever. And uh my other heart hates it because even when we go abroad on a holiday, all she seems to be is ready to conversate. Yes. But look, you know, and it comes from, you know, uh you know my background and my working class roots. I'm proud of it. I am a proud um uh uh you know uh female, it comes from my parents' working class. You know, mum and dad came over with hardly anything in the country. You know, 300 rupees is probably equivalent to three pounds, and um they um didn't know the language and look look what they've done and what they've achieved, and what they wanted was a better life for their kids, and we have got that and we have a voice. And guess what? I'll be damned if I'm not going to live. They paved the way, and they're now paving it for everybody else. I would have got to we've got so much to do, and so many brilliant uh the feedback. You know, let's we can talk here and say, yeah, we've done this, but actually, our our How I feel is how we how we should have that sense of achievement and that sense of um you know actually what is it that we're out there that purpose it's when others come and say guess what you know my I've not even looked at my phone. I mean I've had it's inundated with. You're then it's a whole other day. Yeah, inundated with messages. Um and you know, we we we did packed out arenas. I mean that there was a queue for our leadership session uh with women, um people that couldn't couldn't couldn't get in, and um and that's because um they want to know more, they want to know how they can. Yeah, and I think another highlight for me, Maria, and I haven't actually spoken to you about this throughout today, is that so many men have come to this stand to over the three days and said, Can you tell us about women in protective services? Can you tell us about women in industry? How can we get our uh officers, how can we get our supervisors, our directors, part of that men? And I'm thinking, guess what? We're on the right path, we're doing right. The 19 group, Peter Jones, Tristan, the team, they are um when you think about this, all of this has got set up and everything that was set up for me, mainstream, you know, this working class girl, Peter Jones, you made my dreams come true, and I cannot thank you. And I know you've got two of your biggest uh fans here, but because of what you've done here and how this show has changed our life and um and you trusted us uh when I wasn't unknown, you know, that was that crazy me. You were thinking, oh my god, who the hell is this? You already thought the same about me.

SPEAKER_02 23:41

In fact, I'm pretty sure that's how it went out because we went, we did that panel together a couple of years ago, and we'd never met before, didn't know each other. So and you were already established, like you were doing your thing, but we just didn't know each other. And I I suppose because I've been more on the I would have been a client at the show back in the day, so I was in a little different track, whereas you being more around actually the association and the empowerment hadn't really been exposed to that yet. So probably it would have happened at some point, but being that I remember right afterwards you came over and went, right, something's gonna happen here, so let's get give me your number, and it was like bam, and it did. Um, and you are a woman of your words, and uh I appreciate and I know everybody else appreciates it. We've obviously gone over time, of course we have, because you know, and then we could probably do a whole day to be honest. We could do a chatterphone, you know, people could just sponsor every hour. We just keep right, what's the next topic? Yeah, we'll go for the next one.

SPEAKER_01 24:33

Do you know when they talk about podcasts? And I sorry, I know we're over, but like, you know, and I always the way I look at things, I think I don't know enough about it, but we've had to because it's a way to engage, connect, and um and you know, touch base, stay relevant, and etc. and so on. And do we have a message? Of course we do have a message, and I see some of the podcasts out there, and I'm thinking, you know, this what you do here is absolutely wonderful. I I don't actually think that I don't think anyone else does this, and you know, this should be bigger, and it will be bigger. Yeah, um, studio next year. We honestly we usually Peter's coming over in a minute.

SPEAKER_02 25:12

I'm gonna say, look, Peter, come on. By the way, there are other ones, there's different discussions going on, and they are in specific areas, and I think that's really good because you need that content file. But yeah, not be advised, but totally agree because the people I've spoken to, honestly, I can't wait for you to hear all the other topics as well.

SPEAKER_01 25:31

It's been really empowering. The things I've heard and they say, they're they come across like they're misogynistic, their messages are right, but you know, they're it's landing, and this message is pure. It's about the community, it's about giving back, it's about um how we bring on a next generation of women, it's about women. Come on, there's half of this country, over half of this country is this women. So it's absolutely right that we actually start using our voices and so on. So this we should like the next step should be about this space, people. Absolutely Marie Tyler, Joe Rogan, eat your heart out, mate.

SPEAKER_02 26:07

On that cheery note, I uh I'm uh I would say I'm here all week. I was here all week. You were here all week. You've got a couple you're doing some more stuff here, aren't you, before you leave. There's no rest for this woman. I am. Listen, thank you so much. Um, obviously, I'm privileged to say it won't be the last time, so uh, thank you for your time this morning.

SPEAKER_01 26:24

It's been a pleasure, my friend. A pleasure. Thank you.