The strategic direction of female officers in the Pacific Islands region is the focus of a two day workshop being held in Honiara, 14 – 15 March 2018.
The workshop, hosted by the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) is coordinated by the Pacific Islands Chiefs of Police (PICP) Secretariat in New Zealand. Participating in the meeting are Women’s Advisory Network (WAN) representatives from Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, Guam, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu Police.
“It is important to ensure the future direction of our policing organisations includes strong Women’s networks and by reviewing and updating the strategic plan for the Pacific region, we will have a shared direction to continue supporting and enhancing the contributions of women in policing,” says RSIPF Commissioner Matthew Varley.
As part of the PICP Executive Leadership Team, Commissioner Varley was elected as the Chairperson for the PICP Women’s Advisory Network during the Guam WAN Conference in 2017. He explains: “I took on the position as Chairperson as I believe the WAN plays a crucial role in bringing about change to address the many challenges experienced by women in policing throughout our region.”
“In the RSIPF we are continuing to focus on our own strategic direction to ensure we are at the forefront of identifying gaps in policies and the implementation of positive changes within our own police force. We have focused our recruitment process on ensuring we have a sustainable police force by recruiting 50% females in two recent recruit courses and we are identifying new and specialised training opportunities for women,” says Commissioner Varley.
Since it started in 2003, the PICP WAN has grown significantly with formal local networks now established in all 21 member countries.
The current Strategic Direction 2015 – 2019 provides advice on gender issues to its members and local police executive as well as the Chiefs of Police.
Key issues experienced by women in Pacific policing include access to promotion and professional development and access to equitable employment opportunities.
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