Police Forces Within The British Overseas Territories Make a Commitment to HeForShe

Six police forces based in the British Overseas Territories made their own commitment to HeForShe at a conference in London on Wednesday 10th July 2024.

Twice a year, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) in the UK hosts the British Overseas Territories Conference for Commissioners of Police. The event connects them with allies from across UK policing, fostering collaboration and support. 

At this year’s event, forces from Anguilla, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Gibraltar and the Sovereign Base Areas joined all police forces in the UK in making a commitment to HeForShe. This commitment includes addressing gender imbalances in middle management teams and removing sexism and misogyny, where it exists, in police culture. 

Maria Stanley from the FCDO supports police forces across the British Overseas Territories said,

“The Commissioners’ commitment to HeForShe today has strengthened their resolve towards gender equality and ensuring effective policing across the territories.”

As a member of the HeForShe Alliance, UK Policing has already demonstrated a strong dedication to gender equality, and the addition of the British Overseas Territories further solidifies the collective effort. The dedication shown by these police forces today is a significant step towards fostering a culture of respect, fairness, and opportunity for all. By addressing these critical issues, they are not only supporting their female officers and staff but also setting a powerful example for other organizations to follow.

UK policing produce an annual report looking at their progress against these commitments. The most recent report was launched in December 2023, with their sixth annual report due out later this year.