INTERPOL developing women police leaders in Southeast Asia

1 March 2019

SEMARANG, Indonesia – Developing leadership skills among women in law enforcement to strengthen their role in the global security architecture was the focus of an INTERPOL training and mentoring programme.

The I-Balance: Women Leaders in Public Safety Programme was conducted by INTERPOL and the Australian Institute of Police Management.

Held under the framework of INTERPOL’s Project Sunbird, the course aimed to develop leadership skills among female law enforcement officers in Southeast Asia.

Women Leaders in Public Safety Programme

Held under the framework of INTERPOL’s Project Sunbird and sponsored by the Government of Canada, the I-Balance: Women Leaders in Public Safety Programme brought together 21 senior female leaders from law enforcement agencies in all 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries.

During the one-week (17 – 22 February) course at the Jakarta Centre for Law Enforcement Cooperation (JCLEC) in Indonesia, the participants worked under the guidance of prominent female mentors – including two INTERPOL officials – to acquire the skills necessary to undertake roles of influence and responsibility in their daily work within their law enforcement agencies.

“The insights and the framework we have gleaned during the course are amazingly grounded and relevant to practical application. We are particularly proud to bring back to our workplace more boldness in diving deeper into our challenges and greater openness in embracing new perspectives.” Kong Yong Sin, Head of Identity Card Unit, Singapore Immigration and Checkpoints Authority

“The challenges of reform and globalization require female officers to have the ability to become leaders who can manage organizations while building networks to ensure public safety. This course provided an opportunity for the female participants to exchange experiences and share knowledge in their efforts of maintaining public safety,” said Executive Director of JCLEC, Brigadier General Nugroho S. Wibowo of the Indonesia National Police.

The I-Balance course was developed and delivered by INTERPOL’s Capacity Building and Training Directorate and the Australian Institute of Police Management. Countries participating in the course were Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

“Through the I-Balance programme, INTERPOL is helping women to identify their leadership strengths, leverage them within their organizational structures and cultures, identify challenges for women in law enforcement leadership roles, and develop solutions to those challenges for themselves and other female officers who will follow,” said Juan Castellaz-Faico, Manager of Project Sunbird.

Project Sunbird is a three-year (2017-2020) INTERPOL initiative to enhance the skills of police across the ASEAN region in combating terrorism and organized crime. It is funded and run with support from the Government of Canada.

As part of the project, INTERPOL is developing and supporting a network of women leaders in Southeast Asia, with the aim of providing developmental opportunities, identifying mentors and strengthening women’s representation at senior levels in law enforcement agencies in the region.