Working Together to Implement Gender-Responsive Policing: Gender Advisory Work in Timor-Leste
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University of Tasmania
Australia -
Australian Federal Police Australia
Abstract
For sustainable development to occur in post-conflict contexts, security concerns need to be addressed. Gender-responsive policing aims to provide policing for all community members. The Timor-Leste Police Development Program (TLPDP) is a bilateral partnership between Timor-Leste and Australia, supporting the Polícia Nacional de Timor-Leste (PNTL) to develop capacity in areas of identified need. This includes reducing sexual and gender-based violence. Delivered by the Australian Federal Police, the program is informed by a gender strategy that reflects international agreements on gender, security, and human rights. This article draws on program design, evaluations, reports, and experience, to explore how strategic objectives on gender have been translated into practical initiatives of the TLPDP. Initiatives include a gender audit of the PNTL, a scoping review of the vulnerable persons units, specialist training courses, and community awareness campaigns. The article highlights the role of strategic alignment, partnership, and collaboration within and beyond policing to amplify efforts.
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Author Biographies
Loene Howes is a senior lecturer in Criminology, and a senior researcher in the Tasmanian Institute of Law Enforcement Studies (TILES), in the School of Social Sciences at the University of Tasmania. Loene is interested in how effective interagency, interdisciplinary, and intercultural communication can promote positive social change to enhance access to justice. Her research focuses on forensic studies and policing, including Australia’s role in police capacity development in the region.
Suzanne Preston is a Detective Sergeant with the Australian Federal Police with experience across international, national and community policing. Her experience in the ACT Policing Family Violence Coordination Unit included strengthening criminal justice responses to family violence, developing policy and legislative reforms for family violence incidents, and leading the design and delivery of a family violence training package for all ACT Policing officers. Recently, Suzanne concluded her deployment to Timor-Leste as the Gender Advisor with the Timor-Leste Police Development Program (TLPDP). She was awarded the Timor-Leste Presidential Medal of Merit for her work in Gender Advocacy.