Jordan: ICITAP’s Engaging Multinational Police Women on Equality and Rights (EMPoWER) Program Delivers “Gender and Leadership in Counterterrorism” Symposium in Amman

From February 18 to 22, the Engaging Multinational Police Women on Equality and Rights (EMPoWER) program delivered a 5-day Gender and Leadership in Counterterrorism Symposium for Jordan’s Public Security Directorate (PSD). The symposium, hosted in Amman, included a mix of presentations, panel discussions, and workshops sessions offered to 100 officers who were instrumental in advancing PSD’s gender mainstreaming and counterterrorism strategy and action plan. The symposium was the first of its kind in the Middle East, offering a progression of themes covering (1) international counterterrorism and counter violent extremism measures; (2) global best practices in gender mainstreaming for the security sector; as well as (3) leadership and officer capacity building for male and female police officers. The symposium sessions were delivered by over 15 presenters and panelists drawn from academic and practitioner communities with global expertise in police services and counterterrorism, which resulted in over 97% of the participants reporting that the symposium presented new and enriching information.  Throughout the course of the event several participants reported that the EMPoWER symposium was unprecedented in scope and depth, enabling them to expand their career experiences and connect with relevant practitioners and experts. EMPoWER’s partnership with the U.S. Department of State’s Secretary’s Office of Global Women Issues (S-GWI), U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Prisons, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, was also fundamental to the success of the event allowing the program to leverage relevant USG components to deliver a well-rounded experience for participants. Similarly, participation from UN Women and the United Kingdom’s Home Office in Jordan provided attendees with a worldview of gender integration measures pertinent to the security sector. Throughout the symposium, PSD senior officers and the EMPoWER team engaged in forward-planning meetings to determine EMPoWER’s future assistance and training to PSD. Future plans include a joint review of PSD’s Gender Mainstreaming Strategy and Action Plan and capacity-building trainings to promote the inclusion of women into counterterrorism decision-making, leadership, and operational positions. EMPoWER’s Gender and Leadership in Counterterrorism Symposium counted with the support of U.S. Embassy Amman Regional Security Office and Political Section. The symposium built upon EMPoWER’s previous training and assistance for PSD, which is funded and supported by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Counterterrorism (CT). For social media: 1) DOJ X; 2) DOS X.