Women Police Officers Network
The Southeast Europe Police Chief Association (SEPCA) has initiated the creation of a Women Police Officer Network (WPON) in SEE. The network is expected to function as an independent service under the umbrella of SEPCA members. The aim of this project is to assist in the setting-up of this network by providing support and expertise to the WPON in the initial phases of the inception as well as support for long-term institutionalisation. The project will support the creation of basic statutes governing management and membership structures as well as specific efforts tasked with addressing the recruitment, promotion, retention and career building of women police officers in the region. It is envisioned that the WPON can also come to serve as an advisory body to the region’s police services on matters related to gender and policing; and project initiating and facilitating. The project will support the development of relevant gender policy and guidelines based on best-practice experiences, including from other existing regional networks for women police officers. SEESAC will also develop in partnership with the WPON a SALW course for women prosecutors and judges in South East Europe, enabling them to gain in-depth knowledge on small arms and light weapons as well as the accompanying legislative frameworks.
Activities
1. Establishment of a Women Police Officer Network in SEE
The project will offer assistance in setting-up the network by jointly identifying the needs of the network. The main component is the setting-up of the basic structure of the network and the capacity-needs analysis in order to establish what the priorities are and how they can be achieved. The data collection through questionnaire distributed to women police officers will provide the basis for such an analysis.
The project will help organize annual conferences for Women Police Officers in SEE, gathering representatives from Police service members of SEPCA as well as representatives of similar organizations from several EU countries.
The first annual conference will serve a double purpose:
- Firstly, it will act as a founding event for WPON, allowing the members for get to know the main aspects of the network the key bodies which will be tasked with developing the basic documents necessary for the work of the network.
- Secondly, the first conference will act as a way for the members of WPON to develop contacts with other female police officers from the region as well as to establish personal and institutional links with similar associations from other countries. Members are expected to benefit from the initial contacts while at the same time using the opportunity to start implementing some of the experiences and knowledge from female police officers in other forces.
The other annual conferences will help institutionalise the network as well as act as venues and conduits for discussion on the key challenges for female police officers.
The project will help organize working group meetings. It will help develop meeting agendas and identifying experts who could contribute to the working groups.
2. Development of policy and best-practice guidelines
The project will support the development of policy and best-practice guidelines in areas of career development for female police officers and in gender sensitive policing strategy, and the support the network in taking on an advisory role on matters related to gender mainstreaming.
Summary of the activities:
- Analysis of the current career development of women police officers in SEE police service.
- Analysis of current practice of policing and the role of women police officers.
- Identifying the key areas where improvement is needed
- Research on best practices and international experience in implementing gender policies in police services.
- Recommendations on best-practice approaches
