TASHKENT, 5 November 2012 – Addressing challenges faced by women in policing is the focus of a three-day OSCE-supported workshop that opened in Tashkent today.

The workshop is organized by the OSCE Project Coordinator jointly with the Human Rights Chair of the Police Academy in Uzbekistan. It is led by female police experts from the US and France who have more than 30 years of experience in high-level positions in law-enforcement. The event brings together female police officers from the Police Academy and various branches of Uzbekistan’s Interior Ministry.

The Senior Project Officer of the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan Christoph Opfermann said in his opening speech: “With this event, we seek to promote and enhance the capacity of law enforcement bodies to safeguard the rights of women in policing, which is essential for addressing security challenges we all face.”

Participants will discuss obstacles faced by women in policing, how to address them and how they can achieve success in their work. They will focus on the ways women exercise leadership functions, confidence-building strategies, as well as the challenges women face in balancing their professional lives with other roles.