AFP 'embarrased' by low female recruits

Australia's federal police boss says the lack of female recruits at the agency is embarrassing.

Andrew Colvin says the 26 per cent of women who went for a job at the Australian Federal Police was largely a marketing issue and he wished the numbers were higher because the agency offered great employment prospects.

"In political correctness, 26 per cent is embarrassing for the AFP and we shouldn't be happy about that and we're not," he told a parliamentary hearing in Canberra on Wednesday.