The Guidelines for Gender Sensitive Policing Presented in Skoplje

The Guidelines for Gender Sensitive Policing with an Emphasis on Recruitment, Selection and Professional Development of Women in Police Services were presented in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, at an event organized by the Ministry of Interior, the Bureau for Public Security and UNDP/SEESAC.

The Guidelines, which were developed by the Women Police Officers Network (WPON) Working Group, identify the main challenges currently facing women in the police services, offer good practice examples and provide practical recommendations for simple and low-cost measures to improve their better integration.

The presentation was opened by Ms. Gordana Jankuloska, Minister of Interior, and Ms. Deirdre Boyd, UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

Ms. Jankuloska, called for the implementation of measures proposed in the Guidelines, in order to ensure the recruitment of qualified and motivated women in the police as well as their professional development.

Over the past twenty years women have made their way from the lowest positions in the police services, proving that they are able to perform police duties as efficiently as men. At the Macedonian Ministry of Interior, women now make one fourth of the employees, most of them working in the administration. Minister Jankuloska emphasised that more needs to be done to attract women to the uniformed and crime police units, where they represent only from 2 to 15%.

Statistical data shows that women are equally successful as men in police academies. “This is a clear indication that women are an under-used human resource that can contribute to more efficient police services,” said Ms. Deirdre Boyd, UN’s Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative, speaking at the launch of the Guidelines. “For instance, women victims of gender based violence or sexual violence will be more inclined to confide in and report crimes to the police if they see women in its ranks. In this way, police services become more representative of the societies which they serve and consequently are more trusted by the citizens. At present, however, less than one per cent of senior management positions in the country’s police services are held by women, which is in itself an indication of how much still needs to be done to achieve gender equality, “ explained Ms. Boyd.

The launch was attended by 40 senior ranking representatives of the Ministry of Interior.

Ms.Julijana Trajkovik, a WPON Council member, informed the participants about the activities and results achieved by the Women Police Officers Network, a unique regional advocacy platform for information exchange and advocacy for gender equality in policing in South East Europe.  

Ms.Bojana Balon, WPON Project Coordinator from UNDP/SEESAC presented the Guidelines and its recommendations which address issues of recruitment, selection and professional development for women in police. Furthermore, Ms. Balon thanked the Ministry of Interior and Bureau for Public Security for their continuous support of WPON.

About WPON
The Women Police Officers Network in South Eastern Europe is a UNDP/SEESAC supported project, which aims to provide a platform for the exchange of experience and knowledge across police services in the region on the status, needs and priorities of police women in South East Europe; facilitate the advancement of the position of women in police services and gender sensitive policing practices in the region; and advocate for the implementation of gender equality and democratic principles in policing. The project is generously funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and UNDP.