ABU DHABI: Under the patronage of Lt General Sheikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, the Emirates Women Police Association (EWPA) will be organising the third Regional Women Police Conference in the capital Abu Dhabi, under the theme “Women Police ... Leadership in Sustainable Development”.

The conference, which will witness a wide scale international participation, will be held at the Convention Centre at the new Zayed University in Khalifa City in Abu Dhabi, from April 18-20.

http://gulftoday.ae/portal/57bf7dbe-9479-4c6f-aa89-66d3cfeae2b7.aspx

Statement of Dr. Hassan Abbas before the Committee on Foreign Relations United States House of Representatives, extracted from page 5 of his prepared statement, March 22, 2016  (full remarks of Dr. Abbas and video of the hearing at link: http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/hearing/hearing-women-fighting-peace-lessons-today-s-conflicts)

Jane Townsley – Chief Inspector, British Transport Police & former President of International Association of Women Police (IAWP):  A tribute is in order to Jane Townsley’s for her dynamic leadership of the IWAP. Through various efforts and initiatives of the organization, she demonstrated how significant the contribution of women police officers is for effective policing around the globe. She argues: “Policing is not about muscle, but it is about reason, restraint and intelligence.”  In my various interactions with her, I learned about the impact this organization has made and it was an eye opener for me and will be for anyone who is keen to learn about why police organizations will immensely benefit from a higher percentage of women representation in police forces. When some women’s own nations would not support their careers in policing, the IAWP stepped in to fill the void. One of the most essential aspects of counter-terrorism is partnership building, and the IWAP has successfully created a network of female law enforcement officials who could draw on each other’s expertise at a moment’s notice. Jane takes great pride in expanding the network. One of the officers she sponsored for IAWP membership in 2004 was a Kosovar police officer Atifete Jahjaga. Jahjaga became the first President of Kosovo in 2011 after serving as deputy director general of Kosovo police for many years.

 

Impressed by the recent success of the all-women contingent in Liberia, the United Nations has sought women military observers from India. India’s permanent representative to the UN, ambassador Syed Akbaruddin, told FE, “UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon during his talks with Army chief General Dalbir Singh earlier this week requested for women military observers from India."

http://www.financialexpress.com/article/india-news/un-seeks-indian-women-military-observers/237559/

A look at the four women vying for the UN’s top spotm Eight candidates make their pitches this week in the race to succeed UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, whose second term ends on December 31. We take a look at the four candidates bidding to become the United Nations’ first female chief.
http://www.france24.com/en/20160413-united-nations-secretary-general-women-candidates-bokova-pusic-clark-gherman

A big first for St. Paul (Minnesota US): Woman chosen to lead police department as interim chief Kathy Wuorinen rose through the St. Paul police department’s ranks and now she’s poised to take the helm as the interim chief, where she’ll make history by becoming the first woman to lead the city’s police department, Mayor Chris Coleman announced Thursday.
https://news.google.com/nwshp?hl=en&tab=mn&ei=asQfVaOuGsicsgGokoCoCw&ved=0CAkQqS4oBg

Women police climb the ranks across Africa | UN Women – Headquarters from UN Women

http://www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2016/4/women-police-climb-the-ranks-across-africa

The Emirates Women Police Association (EWPA) will be organising the third Regional Women Police Conference in Abu Dhabi, under the theme 'Women Police.Leadership in Sustainable Development,' held under the patronage of Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior.

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/nation/general/local-and-global-women-police-join-in-abu-dhabi

The New South Wales police force is under renewed scrutiny after the state's Police Integrity Commission announced on April 14 that it would launch an investigation into police misconduct. The investigation was sparked by revelations that serving NSW police officers targeted Greens MP Jenny Leong with sexist and racist comments online. MP Leong has been an outspoken critic of the police's drug sniffer dog program, calling for an end to police dogs at music festivals.

http://www.vice.com/en_au/read/police-bullying-in-nsw-greens-jenny-leong-sniffer-dogs-victoria-police-sexual-harassment

House Holds “Truly Historic” Hearing on Women and Security (U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee)    James F. Smith   •    March 22, 2016 United States

The House Foreign Affairs Committee has held the first-ever hearing by a full congressional panel on the role of women in peace and security. Jacqueline O’Neill, Director of the Institute for Inclusive Security, one of three witnesses, testified that the hearing “put a crucial topic squarely on the agenda of one of the most prominent committees in Congress.”

Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) said in his opening remarks at today’s hearing that the “truly historic panel” was addressing an issue of critical importance. He noted that conflicts raging in Syria, Afghanistan, and Sudan are becoming increasing deadly and disruptive, and extremist violence makes negotiations more important than ever.

“And simply put, when women are at the negotiating table, success is more likely,” Royce said. “Research shows that a peace agreement is more likely to be reached—and is 35 percent more likely to last at least 15 years—when women are involved.”

Finding better ways to secure peace is an urgent need. Several speakers cited the current Syrian peace talks, where women and other civil society representatives are being included, as a promising example amid such terrible suffering.

The ranking Democrat on the committee, Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA), said women must not be seen only as victims of conflict, but as actors who can play a central role in ending it. He added: “Women are the first to resist violent fundamentalism.”

Joining O’Neill as witnesses were Monica McWilliams, a renowned negotiator and signatory to the Good Friday Agreement who is also a member of Inclusive Security’s Women Waging Peace Network, and Hassan Abbas, professor at National Defense University and a prominent analyst of security issues in South Asia. Betty Bigombe, a Ugandan mediator and peace campaigner famed for negotiating with the Lord’s Resistance Army, submitted written testimony.

Read statements from the hearing:

  Opening Statement of the Honorable Ed Royce (R-CA), Chairman

  Testimony by Monica McWilliams

  Testimony by Hassan Abbas

  Testimony by Jacqueline O’Neill

  Link to article/video:  https://www.inclusivesecurity.org/house-holds-historic-hearing-on-women-and-security/

 

From Where I Stand - Series from UN Women during CSW60

March 13, 2016 11:53 AM | Carol Paterick (Administrator)

http://www.unwomen.org/en/news/in-focus/csw/from-where-i-stand