OSCE Centre in Bishkek organizes first conference for female police officers

BISHKEK, 12 November 2009 - An OSCE-supported international conference on the role of female police officers in a democratic society was held in Bishkek today. 

More than 60 women who work in the headquarters and regional departments of the Interior Ministry, in of the Kyrgyz Parliament and the in the Government discussed the matter of gender balance in Kyrgyz police forces. The OSCE Centre in Bishkek organized the conference in co-operation with the Kyrgyz Interior Ministry and the National Council on Women, Family and Gender Development under the President of the Kyrgyz Republic.

The conference on women in the police forces was held by the OSCE Centre in Bishkek for the first time. It offered a platform for dialogue and exchange of information and practical knowledge on ensuring appropriate gender balance in police systems of Kyrgyzstan and other countries in the OSCE region. Keynote speakers from international and European associations for female police officers, as well as police officers from the U.S., the Russian Federation, Kazakhstan and Spain shared experiences and best practices for increasing the share of women in policing. The discussion focused on the vital contribution of women to the creation of a service-oriented and democratic police force.

"Kyrgyzstan's national legislation stipulates equal rights and opportunities for women and men," said the Head of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek, Ambassador Andrew Tesoriere. "However, like in many other countries, converting the legal provisions into practice is a true challenge that can be overcome through a change in the administrative culture and the creation of conditions conducive for women's employment, promotion and influence."

Police Lieutenant General Moldomusa Kongantiev, the Interior Minister, added: "Ensuring women's rights are a priority for our Ministry's work. In practice, it means appointing women police officers to executive positions, more actively involving women in public safety work, and recruiting women in traffic police and specialized units."

The event is part of gender-mainstreaming initiatives within the OSCE Police Reform Programme in Kyrgyzstan.