Police forces welcome international colleagues to combat violence against women and girls

In a display of international solidarity and partnership working, colleagues from Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, and Hertfordshire police forces joined officers from British Overseas Territories (BOT) to tackle violence against women and girls (VAWG).

The Inclusivity Through Shared Learning inaugural conference, organised by Women of Colour in Policing (WoCiP) BCH, in collaboration with the International Police Association (IPA) and the BOT Women of Colour in Policing movement, was hosted across the three forces between Tuesday 1 and Friday 4 October.  

Attendees included 13 safeguarding, child protection and control room colleagues from Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Ascension Island, St Helena, Montserrat, Turks and Caicos, and the Cayman Islands. They were joined by national policing leads, founders of domestic abuse charities, NHS representatives, academics, a criminal barrister, author and oral historian, who collectively shared their perspectives and strategies to improve the reporting and prosecutions of domestic abuse, coercion and control, rape and other sexual offences.  

WoCiP BCH Founder, Sergeant Sandra Smith, said: “We are proud to have hosted this event which focused unflinchingly and unapologetically on the travesty that is violence against women and girls. Too many women and girls are killed or abused at the hands of men. Too few women have the confidence to report these crimes and when they do, fewer still lead to successful prosecutions.”

Maria Stanley, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) Gender Programme Lead for the British Overseas Territories, emphasised: “Urgent change is needed within societies worldwide. This event, hosted by WoCiP BCH across Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, and Hertfordshire police forces, provided a critical platform to examine the pressing issues and consider how policing, both locally and globally, can contribute to improving outcomes for female victims of male perpetrated violence. By aligning with SDG5, a sustainable development goal aimed at achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls, this work focuses on a broad range of issues to dismantle systemic gender-based discrimination.”   

Sessions included a bespoke theatre performance to stimulate conversations around domestic abuse, presentations by JESIP and the College of Policing, and an insight into Op Soteria, a programme committed to delivering a victim-centred, suspect-focused approach to rape investigations and prosecutions. 

DS Sabrina Lightbourne, who works for the Turks and Caicos Islands police service in the Safeguarding and Public Protection unit, found the event informative and believes it will make a difference. She said: “More action needs to be taken in my country, so I am grateful to have had this opportunity to learn how different forces respond to violence against women and girls. I was very interested to hear about Op Soteria and will be looking to adopt this approach within our organisations back home.” 

The event, which was sponsored by the FCDO and Integrated Security Funding (ISF), culminated with a closing ceremony and the graduation of colleagues from across BCH who recently completed the tri-force Becoming Career Ready Programme.  

This programme, accredited by Skills for Justice, is aimed at career-minded women from Black, Asian and other underrepresented ethnic backgrounds to give them a voice and encourage them to progress their careers within policing.  

Reflecting on the four-day event, Det. Chief Supt. Rebecca Tipping concluded: “As deputy WoCiP BCH sponsor I was extremely proud to be part of an unforgettable week of activity which showed the power of working together and shared learning.

“Most importantly you could see the positive impact it had on everyone involved. It truly was an inspirational week of activity and great to see the difference the movement is continuing to make on the lives of people. My thanks and credit to the WoCiP BCH team and everyone involved for making the week so special.”