WPON featured in DCAF publication

"Female Staff Association in the Security Sector: Agents of Change?" is the title of the latest in the series of Occasional Papers published by The Centre for Security, Development and the Rule of Law (DCAF). The paper examines the structures, mandates and activities of 67 female staff associations and networks in the security sector, analyses whether and how they meet members' needs, and gauges the effect or influence they have had on changing policies and practices in their institutions and in the communities they serve.

One of the networks reviewed is the Women Police Officers Network in South Eastern Europe (WPON), a 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 to advocate for the implementation of gender equality and democratic principles in policing.

The countries of Southeast Europe have only recently experienced an influx of women into police services. Studies show that as women enter these traditionally male dominated institutions, they face a number of obstacles. Chief among them are the perceived lack of equal access to positions, career development trainings, and a general inadequacy of the mentoring systems. Women's organizations, such as WPON, are thus designed to tackle these obstacles and help with the successful integration of women in the security sector.