Sixty nations gather for the 2017 International Women and Law Enforcement Conference

Minister for Police Mark Ryan and Commissioner Ian Stewart attended the Australasian Council of Women and Policing (ACWAP) 2017 Excellence in Policing Awards Dinner tonight as part of the 2017 International Women and Law Enforcement Conference at the Cairns Convention Centre in Cairns.

Minister Ryan attended on behalf of Premier Anastacia Palaszczuk and said it was an honour and great privilege to be there.

“I am blown away by the level of commitment and achievement the diverse group of women and men attending as delegates and keynote speakers demonstrate in order to keep our jurisdictions safe, informed and equipped,” Minister Ryan said.

“Conferences such as these are a brilliant opportunity to meet people from across the globe who you wouldn’t usually get the opportunity to share a conversation with. I look forward to getting to know some unfamiliar faces so together we can broaden our perspectives and continue to support and educate each other.”

This year’s conference has seen over 1000 delegates from across 60 nations come together for five days of keynote speakers, educational sessions and workshops. The focus of the conference is to highlight the importance of partnerships and celebrate the cooperation between law enforcement agencies and the community, nationally and internationally.

Delegates will explore key issues throughout the conference including Indigenous policing; the changing role of women in law enforcement; managing domestic and family violence; modern day slavery; and police women in peacekeeping.

Commissioner Stewart said the conference would provide an invaluable occasion for delegates to share knowledge and experience across international policing jurisdictions as well as develop and foster inter-agency partnerships.

“The 2017 International Women and Law Enforcement Conference is an opportunity to showcase research and highlight practices and initiatives from across the globe that are proving to be effective in the development of and the education of women’s leadership within law enforcement,” Commissioner Stewart said.

“Women in law enforcement, and especially those in leadership positions, play an integral role in their local communities.

“This conference is a chance for those in the industry to make sure women in law enforcement and other community protection roles around the world are equipped with the knowledge, skills and encouragement to do their jobs to the best of their abilities.”

The conference is being hosted by the International Association of Women Police (IAWP) and ACWAP with the support of the Queensland Police Service and Queensland Government after a successful bid to host the IAWP Training Conference for 2017.

This year’s conference incorporates the 10^th ACWAP conference and the 19^th ACWAP Excellence in Policing Awards Ceremony, together with the 55^th IAWP Annual Training Conference and award and recognition programs.

Conference patrons Terri, Bindi and Robert Irwin will be joined by singer and actress Christine Anu as well as 15 world renowned keynote speakers including Facebook’s Director of Policy Australia and New Zealand, Mia Garlick; Consultant for the Sri Lanka Training Institute for Judges and International and National Arbitrator, Her Ladyship, the Honorable Justice Shiranee Tilakawardane; Council of Women World Leaders’ Secretary General and former Senior Advisor at Goldman Sachs, Laura Liswood; and Chief Constable of the West Midland Police and the founder of the Society of Evidence Based Policing, Alex Murray.

The conference began on September 17 and will run until September 21 at the Cairns Convention Centre.

Media contacts

Minister Ryan’s Office:                                                                  Ph: (07) 3035 8300

Police Media:                                                                                 Ph: (07) 3015 2444