_ leadership. To benefit from all its employees, police

organisations should establish a balance by having

mixed teams at each level of the organisation.

In addition, by having women on decision maldng levels

will also mean diat they flmction as a role model.

Public perceptions of police will also alter i f the rate of

women in executive functions is at least 25%, as women

use other competencies. Mixed teams in executive

functions will contribute to a more effective police

organisation, with more flexibility, and different

leadership styles.

This shows that die representation ofwomen in all levels

of the organisation is a business issue. Therefore it is

undoubtedly an important tool for police organisations

to fulfil their tasks in the most effective and professional

way and to function as a respectable European police

organisation.

Safe-guarding and improve position ofwomen

Finally, the position ofwomen still has to be the subject

for improvement in the European countries. This is

applicable for both the "new" and "old" member states

of tiie European Union. Due to the immigration flow of

the traditional orientated population, the position of

women needs not only to be guarded and observed, but

moreover certainly improved.

The Police with its monopoly on power can play a

significant role herein. The emancipation level of a

111 ENP.NL

G E T A C Q U A I N T E D :

Ann Kate Pedersen

N A M E : A N N KATE P E D E R S E N

C O U N T R Y : D E N M A R K

O R G A N I S A T I O N : N A T I O N A L D A N I S H P O L I C E

E N P F U N C T I O N : G B - M E M B E R

R A N K : S U P E R I N T E N D E N T

F U N C T I O N : L E A D E R POL ICE STATION

PRIVATE: A N N K A T E IS 5 0 YEARS O L D A N D

H A S T W O S O N S Photo:Ann KetePedereenOeft)and

Susanne Philipson, chair

Danish National Female Network.

Career:

Ann has substantial working experiences, she worked widrin theriot police unit and

criminal investigation department She also worked as specialist in matters around

sexual violence against children and has taught tiie subject.

Her tip:

Now after more than 30 years with women in the Danish police, some progress has been achieved,

but there is still a lon^ way to go before there is real equality. Lau; and ^ood personnel policy will

not be enough, quite jiindamental change in culture and attitudes are necessary and this takes time.

Her aduice to "neui" women in police is that they must toke care to become projiricnt at their profes­

sion and establish a balance within their priuate life. This will make it possible to partidpate in

the cjood and exciting toslö like ; r ' •^^HsP^^HPI^SI'^sS^B

men. Only then they will get . -

JÜ11 respect.

ENP U R O P E A N N E T W O R K F P O L I C E W O M E N

countiy is almost measurable on the basis of the number

ofwomen in operational/executive functions. The police,

which ought to reflect its society, could fiinction as a role

model when at least 25% of the persons employed

within ± e operational/ executive functions are female.

The position ofwomen within police organisations is, in

everyway crucial and fundamental for die development

of a professional police service and to safe Europe!

ENP's Strategy and Mission

The ENP was founded on 23rd March 1989. The initial

aim and strategy of tills network is to promote and

empower women and at die same time to stimulate die

European pohce organisations to recruit, retain and to

offer women the necessary career development so that

the number of women in senior management/decision

maldng positions will increase.

E N P ' s credo "QUALITY T H R O U G H EQUALITY"

is translated in its mission, namely:

T H E E U R O P E A N N E T W O R I C O F P O L I C E W O M E N

C O N T R I B U T E S T O E N H A N C E T H E Q U A L I T Y A N D

E F F E C T I V E N E S S O F T H E P O L I C E SERVICES I N

E U R O P E BY I N C R E A S I N G T H E N U M B E R O F W O M E N

W I T H I N E V E R Y L E V E L O F T H E P O L I C E A N D L A W

E N F O R C E M E N T O R G A N I S A T I O N S I N E U R O P E .

Aims

The main aim of the E N P is to raise awareness of the

benefit of having more women witiiin die police botii on

operational and management/decision maldng level and

also to empower tiiose women who are already working

within die police and law enforcement organisations.

Aims translated into practice:

- To increase the number of female employees in general,

wi± a special focus on senior management positions,

- To raise die awareness on tire necessity of tiie

Management of Diversity and Gender Mainstreaming

(platforms - round table meetings, exchange of

best practices)

- Monitoring developments in regard to Gender and

Diversity

- enhancement of career development for women, by

special intemational training - seminars

Focussing on the preservation of autiienticity,

recognition of own competences, building up self

esteem, so tirat women can be leaders in tiieir own right

- professionalism of women (management and

networldng sldlls),

- fiinctioning as an information charmel (site, best

practices intemational conferences seminars etc)

- completion of surveys and research

- stimulation of initiatives for the foundation of national

networks for policewomen

- Reinforcement of die existing national police female

networks by network training

- Custom made support of die existing national police

female networks

- To raise the number of policewomen witiiin Peace

Keeping Missions

Organisational structures

The ENP was founded on 23rd March 1989. Due to

its growth die organisation became a non profit

organisation under Dutch Law in 1994. In 1996 the ENP

was officially granted tiie stams of NGO, which imphes

tiiat the ENP may designate official representatives to die

United Nations to the UN Headquarters in New York as

well as tiie UN offices in Geneva and Vienna.

The ENP acts completely independent of any

Government, political party or group and declares itself

for the fundamental values of all mankind, freedom,

justice and solidarity; in accordance witii die democratic

principles and tiie fundamental rights as laid dovm in die

Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

In conforming witii its constimtion tiie ENP is governed

by a General Board for the general management, the

Executive Board is responsible for the daily management

of the organisation. The Executive Board is hereby

assisted by tiie Head Office located in die Netiieriands.

Both tiie General and Executive board are composed of

representatives from Europe.

The elections for both boards talce place every two years.

On these occasions the organisations diat are already

represented either in tiie General or Executive Board are

approached for nominees. This can result in a renewal

of existing board members or ± e appointment of new

members. In addition to tills, organisations from those

countries that are not yet represented are invited to

nominate representatives for bodi boards. Individual

men or women, with or witiiout die support of tiieir

organisation, can also apply for the fiinction of country

contact person.

12 EN P.N L

EXECUTIVE & GENERAL BOARD 2009 (NOVEMBER) - 2011 EXECUTIVE BOARD Marta Fernandez Barea Patricia Stahl Caroline Pie Maria Dolores Iribarne Perez Karianne Jensen

Vice President Vice President Vice President Liaison Officer Liaison Officer

Spain Sweden Netherlands Spain Norway

Generalitat Catalunya - Mosses D'Esquadra Swedish Police Police Amsterdam-Amstelland Spanish National Police Norwegian Police

POLIS' i

From top to below:

Marta Fernandez Barea

Patricia Stahl (photo not available)

Caroline Pie

GENERAL BOARD and COUNTRY CONTACT PERSONS Sibylle Geissler Marlies Raser-Menhart Gwen Merckx Cecile Rigot Mar ia Nicola idou Ann Kate Pederson Hanne BergstrOm Veronilca Isberg Ines Karu Leena Lukala Monica Storrank Andrea Schaal Ariane Klauer I ldikó Kineses Kriszt ina Hubay Ibolya Csako Maura Lernihan Maria Rosaria D'Andrea Laura Chiesa Ausra Dovydeniene

Jurga Mickiene Tanya Antonova Stephanie Reichert Vivianne Eschenhauer Mary-Ann Gallée Mona Bergseth Walentyna Trzcinska Li'dia de Jesus Janeira Magalhaes Apoloni ja Grobin Helena Tomaceviz Lena Thor Pia Mi i l le r Olivia Derungs Christine Calderoni Tugba Ozbas Jackie Alexander

GB-member Austria Ministry of Interior Deputy GB Austria Ministry of Interior GB-member Belgium Belgian Association of Policewomen GB-member Belgium Federal Police Country Contact Cyprus Cyprus Police GB-member Denmark Danish National Police Deputy GB Denmark Danish National Police GB-member Estonia Estonian Police Board Deputy GB Estonia Estonian Police Board GB-member Finland Ministry of Interior Deputy GB Finland Ministry of Interior GB-member Germany ENP-Germany Deputy GB Germany ENP-Germany GB-member Hungary Hungarian Association of Policewomen Deputy GB Hungary Hungarian Association of Policewomen Country Contact Hungary Hungarian Association of Policewomen GB-member Ireland An Garda Si'ochana GB-member Italy Polizia Municipale Milano GB-member Italy Pol izia Municipale Casalpusterlengo-Somaglia GB-member Lithuania Ministry of Interior, Police Department Deputy-GB Lithuania Ministry of Interior, Police Department Country Contact Latvia Latvian State Police GB-member Luxembourg Grand Ducal Police Deputy GB Luxembourg Grand Ducal Police GB-member Netherlands Police Haaglanden GB-member Norway Police Directorate GB-member Poland Polish Police Chief Commander GB-member Portugal G N R GB-member Slovenia Slovenian Police Deputy GB Slovenia Slovenian Police GB-member Sweden Swedish National Police Board Country Contact Sweden Swedish National Police Board GB-member Switzerland Stadtpolizei Ziir ich Deputy GB Switzerland Stadtpolizei Zi ir ich GB-member Turkey Turkish National Police GB-member U K BAWP

From top to below:

Maria Dolores Iribame Perez

Karianne Jensen

i

ADVISORY & CONSULTIVE BODY Anita Wieman Netherlands LECD

13 I ENP.NL

From a tiny ENP - seed to a beautiful international tree text: Christine Terwiel, tekstbureau Chris Teksten

"During my 28 years in policing I have had the

privilege to undertake so many interesting challenges. Never

hindered by the glass ceiling, 1 have always had the nicest job

of the entire force". She admits that her character has

something to do with it and that the opportunities she has

had, she has had to create herself Above all she is grateful.

"LookatwhatI have had die chance to do: fiirt-

her shape die ENP and having become visible, been

asked to set up the new program "Pohce and Human

Rights" for the Council of Europe in France. Later I was

asked to come back to The Nedierlands to estabhsh the

School for Pohce Leadership of die Pohce Academy and

participate in the Dutch delegation to the Governing

Board of die European Pohce CoUege (CEPOL). Here I

had the oppormnity, together with coUeagues from

France, Sweden and the UK, to develop the action lear­

ning programme TOPSPOC, die TOP Senior Pohce Of­

ficers Course. Later within the Dutch pohce, I was able

to develop interesting and valuable international pro­

grams. As icing on the calce I have been able to realize Pe­

arls in Pohcing. This annual gathering of top level law

enforcement executives from all over the world is my big­

gest dream of building an intensive worldwide network

of senior officers with an interest to malce tills world a

safer place. Peace - Police - Justice are the key words

underlining tiie goals of the Pearls initiative. I feel

privileged again that I am able to serve this kind of

important developments.

Anita Hazenberg, MA, MCM was ENP-Directorfrom iggi till

1997. This period had a strong impact on herfurther career.

Despite the lact that she herself was in noway incommoded

by the glass ceiling, she presently actively contributes in

brealdng down this phenomena. As Intemational Director

of the School for Police Leadership, she is realizingthis by

not only focusing on women and persons with an ethnic

background, but also offeringthesitting"white" men inter­

national career and training perspectives. A personal inter­

view with an energetic policewoman, grateful forthe

wonderful opportunities she has had, and still getting.

Enormous Intemational network

When she was asked for tiie fiinction of ENP-Director,

she had just rounded off her higher professional

education (HBO). She graduated on the subject of the

various factors influencing policy development in

pohcing. "My tiiesis addressed also female networks".

Therefore die ENP-fimction matched peifectiy and above

aU it added the international component. "EspeciaUy the

enormous network I built up was of extreme importance.

In each country either I loiow people or people laiow me,

significant to simphfy cooperation. In tiie six years tiiat

I was able to work for the ENP, you could say tiiat tiie

international seed was sown. In the meantime it has

grown to become a beautifiil and abundant tree. "I have

come to love tills work, establishing new initiatives,

coUaborating, building up trust, bringing people

together, I see it as the constant factor, a land of ±read

in my career".

A building function

She speal<s about the ENP in die nineties. "It was truly a

building up fiinction, lots needed to be estabUshed.

At that time we had no internet or e-mail. Two persons

formed the secretariat We did everytiiing: thinldng about

die strategy, putting it into effect, deliberating witii tiie

board, giving lecmres, PR, advising networks in otiier

countries and malang sure tiiat finance was properly dealt

witii. This small group was in fact die spider in the web in

buildingup aU other policewomen's networks in Europe".

From a Dutch organization to a European networl<

During tliis period die ENP managed to acliieve a lot.

"We made important steps for the ENP. I was stiU

appointed by a Dutch board. However i f you truly want

to be a European network for women, you need to have

a European board. That is one of the first things we

accomplished. When you consider diat die Dutch

government was financing our organization, this was

quite exciting. Nowadays women from aU over Europe

are involved within the ENP, a wonderfiil development".

UN World conference on Women in China

"What I am particularly proud of, is ± a t we as women

united and were present at the U N World Conference on

Women in China. There, we particularly asked attention

for pohcewomen around die world who were tackhng

violence against women. This resulted m multi-

disciphnary missions. As such we visited, witii a ntixed

delegation, several women centers in Russia. Not only

did we visit with a specialist of the vice squad, but for

example, also with a gynecologist or somebody from

women rehef works. We dierefore were able to meet on

die spot witii people from other disciphnes, dius putting

them in touch at the same tune. Recentiy I saw tiiat one

of the Russian women, who at that time was settmg up a

telephonic rescue hne for women, has been nommated

for an award. That is so nice to see!".

Facts and figures

She is also very proud of die bi-aimual conferences and

die publication Facts and Figures which came out on

those occasions. "It was a pubhcation which supplied

information on the position ofwomen within European

countries. In an era with when tiiere was no internet,

we managed to be the source of loiowledge for a

considerable length of time when it came to the position

ofwomen in die different European countries".

Achieved much, but the glass ceiling is still there

The ENP gave pohcewomen the feeling that they were not

standing alone. Many things that we at present talce for

granted were combated. Such as worldng part-time, the

possibihty to apply for aU fimctions or shnply dressing

rooms forwomen. However we have notyet broken down

the glass ceiling totally. The Dutch Minister of die Interior

Ter Horst made a brave step in 2008 when she said: "I see

no other possibility to brealc down the glass ceiling than by

fixing target figures". But much more is taldng place, the

cooperative program "Pohtietop Divers" focuses among

odiers on die career perspectives of die sitting "white" men.

I myself am actively involved by searchmg for intemational

work opportunities and mtemships. New perspectives are

offered at a time when management development is also

about to change. As the pohce top fimctions will form part

of the general governance department whereby mter-

national experience is an unportant condition, we are

actually agam paving the road for die fiiture.

Professional support gender mainstreaming

On die question whetiier she has a golden tip for the ENP,

she answers:

"My aduice to the ENP is: obtain a visible identity towards the

support o/Jragile states. Here there is a great demand for women

who as a law enforcement projessional, can support both the

issue of gender mainstreaming, an effccriue approach on violence

against women and children and supporting the building oJ

democratic governmental structures. In doing so, making an

important contribution to a substantial development and at the

same time creating unique career possibilities for women".

151 ENP.NL

From brawn to brain - from hired hands to hired heads?

ENP by Anna-Lena Barth - Swedish Police and former ENP president

R O P E A N N E T W O R K P O L I C E W O M E N

You are the new Chief of Police. You have been given

the opportunity to fulfil your vision and your ideas.

You have unlimited resources (money is no object),

a police station filled with whateveryou desire in terms of

equipment and latest technology and the personnel

(both officers and civilians) of your choice. Life is good.

1^

Then you wake up to a world of political

demands, budget cuts, lack of staff, recruiting and

retention problems - not to mention ah the equipment

diat should have been replaced ages ago. And you reahse

tills is not a nightmare but reality and it's your job to

malce die most of it.

Anotiier reality is that tiie personnel cost is usuahy more

tiian 80% of your budget. It is amazing, at least to me,

the way we sometimes mishandle this large percentage

of our budget.

A modern responsive pohce service needs die range of

viewpoints and experiences that only a balanced

workforce can supply. Untapped potential and loss of

expertise is a waste of resources. The minimum

replacement cost of an ofBcer after a five-year investment

in developing slohs is approximately € 40.000,-.

The composition of tiie police should be a reflection of

the society they are serving. Tills imphes that women and

men of different ethnic, culmral and social backgrounds

and experiences must be represented in die pohce service

to the same extent as they are in the society. Pohce work

is still one of the most stereotypical masculine, white

male occupations.

The competitive reality is diat organisations which are

bogged down on issues of race, gender, age, sexual

preferences, looks and so on wih encounter serious

problems. Intelhgence is normaUy distributed. It is not

the preserve of usually white, 45-year-old males.

The police service has to be a modern, dynamic and

effective organisation and, consequentiy, an attractive

employer. We also have to act and tiiink in new ways to

continue to be the experts on fighting crime.

Furthermore, we have to reduce die gap between the

pohce and die pubhc by getting a better representation

of society as a whole.

Since 50% of the population is women, the number of

women entermg die pohce service must increase. It is a

fact that women generaUy are grossly under-represented

in die police and ± is fact is even more apparent in the

higher ranks and managerial positions.

In a democratic society, tiie government has legislated

about equality and die pohce service is die body that

upholds and enforces the law. If the pohce have problems

foUowing the law, who wiU? Judging the democracy fi'om

that perspective, we are in deep trouble.

If you want to attract women, then the climate in the

organisation must be positive to balancing work and

family hfe. Women do bring their bodies and

reproduction system widi tiiem and a modern

management must acloiowledge that. It's stih

it; I

astonishing that a woman being pregnant is loolced

upon as a big surprise. Where do you diinic future

pohcemen come from? They also have a mum you loiow.

Overcommg insdmtionalised neglect of women widiin

the criminal justice system - as victims, offenders or

professionals - is a priority to which a great deal of

±ought ought to be directed.

hiequahty between men and women - also in the sharmg

of power and decision maldng at aU levels - needs to be

addressed more seriously. It is clear diat a great deal of

work stih needs to be done to bring about changes in

attitudes and behaviour within the police towards

women. Additionally, more commitment is necessary

- both internationaUy and nationahy - to human rights.

(UNSCR1325)

The pohce services are facing problems in recruiting and

retention, especially in the western world where the

population is getting older and more and more women

choose not to have children. Youngsters are not

interested in staying in one job as we have done.

If we don't offer attractive and fulfihing jobs, we will

have an even bigger problem than we have today.

We make decisions today that will affect the police of

tomorrow. We have to stop being short-sighted and

focus 10-20-30 years ahead and ask ourselves:

• What Idnd of young people are we looldng for then?

What sldUs wih be required?

• What kind of crunes and crimmals wiU we be facing?

• What Idnd of society are we facing?

The people we are trying to recruit are people with

integrity, people who are mamre, dependable and

responsible. StiU, once they are out of the academy we

monitor them as i f diey were children. Do we acmally

recruit the wrong people or are we, as leaders, managers

or supervisors, in the wrong?

They are also die same people who malce good parents.

Being a responsible parent is hard, when you have to

choose between work and parenthood. How come that

we are not very supportive when it comes to balancing

work and family life? Why do we insist and hang on to

these fixed shifts hlce diere is no tomorrow.

There are researches which show diat small and medium

organisations are tire ones that benefit most from family

friendly policies (the reaUy big ones are stih not tiiat

vulnerable). According to the researches you can see a

reduction in temporary sicloiess and improvement when

it comes to retention, higher morale, more commitment

and a better quality overaU. These changes take some

time though, but the benefits will definitely outweigh die

costs.

Successfiil intelhgent management is characterised by

ENP E U R O P E A N N E T W O R K

OF P O L I C E W O M E N

the abihty to transform mdividual competence into a

coUective competence. This increases die value of the

organisation. The pohce service depends totahy on die

individual employees and the question of success or

failure is directiy connected witii the development of

staff

In a modern organisation, 70 to 80 percent of what

people do is now done by way of their inteUects.

The critical means of production is smaU, grey and

weighs around i , 3 Idlograms. It is die human brain and

it is controUed - for better or worse - by the individual.

Your most critical resources wear shoes and wah< out of

the door around five o'clock every day. As a result, your

management and leadership are keys to success or

failure.

There is a major mmd-shift gomg on. In the brain-based

society, perception is aU. If we cannot capmre the

attention of the pubhc or employees, we are out Today

information flows freely. You can't avoid i t And it also

creates total transparency: People with access to

mformation are begmning to chaUenge any type of

authority. The smpid, loyal and humble employee or

citizen is dead.

Here is Winnie-the-Pooli,

coming downstairs now, bump, bump, bump,

on the bade of his head, behind Christopher Robin.

It is, as far as he Icnows - the only way of coming downstairs.

But sometimes he feels that there really is another way,

If only he could stop bumping for a moment to think of it.

And then he feels that perhaps there isn't...

This book aimed at children is a fountain of wisdom.

To me - this dilemma describes the pohce organisation

trying to adapt to a changing world but really doesn't

loiow how. The pressure is increasing. We are told to

speciahse, be cost-efficient and more effective.

But change is not friction-free - many of those in

command of die present system wih tight back. The old

does not give in to the new without resistance.

The principles are the same tiiough. Change is not

automatic - it must be created by individual

entrepreneurs. In contrast - we are not very good at

creation. Our societies are not built for it. Our

organisations are not designed for i t And most people

arenottramedforit

Innovation requires experuxientation. Experiments

are rislcy. We can succeed or fah. The trouble is that

traditional organisations are not the most forgiving of

environments. In many of them failure carries the

corporate equivalent of the deatii penalty. The signal is

that failure is punished. This not only stops people from

faüing - it stops them from trying. If it were not for

ah the fools trying to do die knpossible - over and over

again - we would stih be living in caves. The only way

not to fail is not to try. And try we must. No failures;

no development

Europe has chosen to co-operate on a number of levels

and subjects, which have been made visible through

various treaties and agreements between our countries.

In order to strengtiien and develop international pohce

co-operation in a more effective way you need personal

contacts. They are a necessary condition in order to malce

die formal systems work as intended. International

co-operation is, dierefore, not merely a matter of solving

cross-border crimes but also of smdying and learning

from each other's solutions in a joint effort to

comprehend the development on which we are so

dependent

As a police officer it is absolutely essential in today's

society to have international contacts in order to broaden

your professional outiook on work-related issues.

Networldng (botii mixed and single sex) is positive and

needs to be encouraged. Men only and mixed

networldng occurs automatically, but tiie same is not

Orue for women only. Oppormnities must tiierefore

be created for women to get toge±er without becoming

uncomfortable in a culmre that frequentiy seeks to

question tiie benefits.

Pursuing other routes tiian the most traveUed can prove

wortiiwhile. After all, Viagra was discovered when

scientists were looldng to develop a drug to reheve high

blood pressure.

18 I EN P.N L

19 I ENP.NL

G E T A C Q U A I N T E D :

Ragnhild Engen

N A M E :

C O U N T R Y :

O R G A N I S A T I O N :

R A N K :

R A G N H I L D E N G E N

N O R W A Y

P O L I C E O S L O

DETECTIVE I N S P E C T O R

P R E S E N T F U N C T I O N : C R I S I S & H O S T A G E N E G O T I A T O R A N D D I A L O G U E P O L I C I N G

E N P F U N C T I O N : EXECUTIVE B O A R D M E M B E R T I L L N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 9

PRIVATE: R A G N H I L D IS 3 5 A N D M O T H E R O F T W O C H I L D R E N

Career:

13 years ago Ragnhild entered the Norwegian police. She started her career in die Patrol

unit foUowed by the dog patrol unit. After having attended die Pohce Academy she

made a switch m her career. At present she is worldng at the Organized Crime Unitm

Oslo.

Jobs motivation:

She hl<es to work on communication. She is convinced that effective communication/

dialogue has a positive influence on solving most conflicts. Besides it is crucial to

ft)ster confidence and trust between die society and the police.

Her view on ENP:

She emphasizes the importance of the ENP In this network she met so many

ambitious and professional women. She experienced this as a booster to work even

harder in her organisation on die issue worldng conditions for women.

Her tip:

"Based upon her experiences she jinds it important to be aware of the differences between men and

women. At the start of their career women try hard to act like men. Forgetting that especially the

differences make us complete. Therefore It is indispensable to support each other when worldng at

male dominated places in order to preserve authenticity".

ENP E U R O P E A N N E T W O R K

OF P O L I C E W O M E N

Police...

by Anita Wieman - Hesterman - Advisor to ENP - European Network of Policewomen

Anita Wieman-Hesterman has gained substantial

worldng experiences in trade and industry both in the

Netherlands and abroad. In 2000 she added an other

chapterto her career by acceptingthe ENP function

as policy advisor. In spite the fact that from 2005

she is employed by the Dutch police organisation

LECD (National Expertise Centre on Diversity -

portfolio intemational cooperation & appointed

as Project-Manager to the support group EDPOL

(European Diversity in Policing) she still is the

driving force behind ENP.

In this article Anita Wieman gives you an insight

on the challenges, blocl<s, opportunities and her

working experiences to further professionalise and

sustain a European networic.

Police... only loiew tliem from getting a fine for

wrong parking or even worse speed checks.

But in 2000 an employment advertisement of the ENP

drew my attention.

Before applying I gained information on die ENP and got

mterested tireir organisational aims. In my career I never

drought about male dommance, unequal treatment etc.

but letting my worldng experiences pass in review... yes

many mechanism that I took for granted were placed in

different perspectives. So becoming curious I accepted

dre fiinction of Pohcy advisor within the ENP.

When I started, the ENP was in a very difficult phase.

The Dutch Ministry of Interior decided after a period of

twelve years not to prolong tiieir subvention. I surely

could understand tiieir decision as indeed the ENP is a

European network and therefore should be shouldered

by die European pohce organisations and/or responsible

Ministries. However that could not wave aside tiiat it

placed die network in an extteme precarious situation.

For me it was chahenging!

I started to b o ± reorganise die entire office, reducing

costs as much as possible and exploring new fimding

possibilities to secure the fiirther existence of tiie

network.

But even more important I first had to find my way in

an entire new fascinating world... tiie pohce.

Dutch police...

20 I ENP.NL