Chief Inspector Kate Firman
Cambridgeshire Police will welcome the most senior female police officers in Jordan to their International Women’s Day (IWD) conference.
The conference will take on a truly international feel when it is addressed by Colonel Doctor Delal and Lt Colonel Doctor Khansa Masala.
They will talk on the theme of this year’s IWD, Inspire Inclusion, and the changes that are happening in policing in Jordan.
They have been invited to speak by Chief Inspector Kate Firman, who is chair of the Cambridgeshire Women’s Network and has organised the conference.
Kate, a Federation member and a former rep, said: “Every year we try to do something to support International Women’s Day.
“As a region we had a conference last year which was organised and held by Norfolk Police, and was attended by Suffolk, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire.
“We get together and all help but the home force does the lion’s share of it, and it was really well run.
“So I thought let’s have it in Cambridgeshire this year and volunteered to organise it.
“I’ve been lucky enough to go out to Jordan through the Home Office and lecture on how we do things in our police forces.
“It was about evidence-based policing and our leadership approach, policing by consent, and all of those good things.
“And while I was over there I met their most senior female police officer and asked if they could come to Cambridgeshire and be part of our conference, and then it would be truly international.
“They are bringing a party of 10 people, and I’m really pleased they’re coming.
“They’re going to talk about what they’ve done to help improve inclusion and to inspire each other in Jordan.
“They have made great inroads and will talk about that.”
The conference takes place at Brampton Park Golf Club from 9am to 3.30pm this Friday (8 March) on IWD, and a very limited number of places are still available.
It will be opened by Nick Dean, the Chief Constable of Cambridgeshire Police. Other speakers include Rick Lee OBE, chief people officer of construction company Willmott Dixon.
Kate said: “He will be talking about how they’re promoting gender equality and inclusion and getting women into a workplace, which is predominantly male, and making the parallels with policing.”
The conference will also hear from Jill Lanham, who, as ICT director, heads up the collaborated unit across Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire police forces.
Kate said: “She will talk about her experience in ICT, another male dominated world.
“She was also in the NHS and has recently come over to policing, so will talk about that journey as well.”
There will be leadership exercises, and an exercise called Six Thinking Hats which will encourage delegates to look at a problem or a question in six different ways.
“It’s getting people interacting and problem solving,” Kate said.
The day will finish with a panel Q&A before it’s brought to a close by Cambridgeshire Police’s Deputy Chief Constable Jane Gyford.
DCC Gyford has also shared a quote from Mother Teresa on the Force intranet along the IWD theme of Inspire Inclusion, which said: “I can do things you cannot, you can do things I cannot; together we can do great things.”
Kate said: “It’s a really inspirational quote and sums up IWD.”
Away from IWD, the Cambridgeshire Women’s Network continues to support women in the Force to achieve their potential.
Kate spoke earlier this year about how ‘delighted’ she was that the Force has been awarded Menopause-Friendly Accreditation.
The network also runs #IAmRemarkable workshops for underrepresented groups in the Force.
#IAmRemarkable is a global movement that empowers everyone to celebrate their achievements in the workplace and beyond.
“It’s not something we do naturally, so we get people to think about their achievements in their lives, both personal and professional and articulate them,” said Kate.
“It’s a 90-minute workshop but it works really well. It’s very powerful.”
For more information on the conference and on the Cambridgeshire Women’s Network, please contact Chief Inspector Kate Firman.