UAWLE members at the second annual “Leaderhip: Striving for Balance, Inspiration, Empowerment, Integrity” conference in Kyiv.

The Ukrainian Association of Women in Law Enforcement (UAWLE) is the first organization of this kind in Ukraine, which promotes the implementation of gender-sensitive policies and practices in law enforcement bodies.

Since the Association was started in 2018, it has become a platform to create opportunities for leadership and professional development for women in law enforcement. It has been positioned as a critical agent of change in the implementation of gender equality.

The Association has created a network of female law enforcement officers all over Ukraine – enabling dialogue and sharing the experience and knowledge on their careers and professional and personal development.

The first idea of creating this kind of platform came back in 2015, at the beginning of the law enforcement reform in Ukraine – the implementation started in March 2017.

The theme of the Association for women in the police was voiced first at a workshop on gender aspects and policing, organized by the Police Training Assistance Project (PTAP), funded by Global Affairs Canada and implemented with the support of Alinea International.

The head of UAWLE, Kateryna Pavlichenko, described that moment as pivotal to the benefit of the law enforcement system in Ukraine and any person who joined.

“Our Canadian colleagues shared with us their experience on the advantage of having this kind of an organization, including mentorship, improving the professional level, equal access to leadership positions, prevention of discrimination,” said Pavlichenko. “Together with several colleagues, we took this idea and started working on the implementation.”

Chair of the UAWLE Board, Kateryna Pavlichenko, delivers a speech at a UAWLE Interregional conference in Kyiv.

Once implementation started, a working group was founded with the participation of 15 members, who became the pioneers in creating the Association, which will ensure reaching the goals and objectives, first of all, related to gender equality in the professional sphere.

They consulted with international experts, met the Foreign Affairs Minister of Canada, Chrystia Freeland, and participated in the 7th annual conference, “Women in Policing” in Georgia.

The UAWLE was modelled after the International Association of Women Police, founded in 1915 in Los Angeles to accumulate efforts and increase the potential of women in police. Eventually, in 2019, the UAWLE was granted the status of an affiliated member of IAWP, which strengthened the international role of the Ukrainian law enforcers.

“The international experience of promoting gender equality for Ukraine in general and the Association, in particular, is extremely valuable,” emphasized Pavlichenko. “The development of this cooperation will undoubtfully bring us a new experience that can be effective for our countries”.

Association Today

During its four years of existence, UAWLE has united representatives of different law enforcement agencies from different regions, creating a network of like-minded members all over Ukraine. The organization currently has 444 members in various ranks and positions, including 413 women and 31 men.

The Association focused first on forming and confirming the image of a female law enforcer as a leader and professional. The UAWLE conducts educational and awareness-raising events for members, organizes unique leadership practical training, offers valuable opportunities to study in international programs and works towards equal rights and opportunities for women and men.

Now, with the ongoing full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Ukrainian Association of Women in Law Enforcement continues to support members, providing them with psychological and social support. It involves engaging members in different initiatives to demonstrate the role and contribution of female officers in this difficult time.

Pavlichenko pointed out that more than sixty-six thousand women from the Ministry of Internal Affairs system of Ukraine defend the country on the frontline and behind the scenes.

Ukrainian female law enforcement officers perform a significant share of the task of ensuring security and public order. They deter and identify the enemy, sabotage reconnaissance groups, help civilians, evacuate people, and go to the scenes after shelling and airstrikes – all while continuing to perform their regular duties patrolling the streets and detaining perpetrators. Many members of the UAWLE also became volunteers providing humanitarian aid to the military and civilians.

“Ukrainian Association of Women in Law Enforcement became enormous support for me in the time of war. These people give strength to keep going. They became an inseparable part of my life and a family in the 4 years. It is about constant care, little phone conversations, and messages with support. The Association also inspired me to start helping the military and providing them with the things they need. Now we work with the Ukrainian military in all directions. I have many people around whose family members and friends serve in the Armed Forces in different regions, so we help each other, search for the necessary supplies, we order, we share”.

From its inception to now, the achievements of the Ukrainian Association of Women in Law Enforcement have been recognized by Ukrainian society and the international community. The support and success in promoting gender equality in the Ukrainian law-enforcement bodies and recognition of those achievements motivate members on the path forward.

The UAWLE is supported by the Canada Ukraine Police Development Project (CUPDP), which is funded by Global Affairs Canada and implemented by Alinea International.

alinea’s whistleblower policy

1.1 Purpose

The following Whistleblower Policy has been established to provide guidance to Alinea International employees and sub-contractors on how to deal with known or suspected improper conduct within the organization. The objectives of this Policy are to:

Create awareness of the Policy and available whistleblower protections
Act as a reference guide to potential whistleblowers wishing to make a disclosure
Define the structure of the whistleblower system, including reporting and investigation procedures, whistleblower protections, and confidentiality, among others
Improve the communication and transparency in the processes associated with whistleblowing and assure protection against derogatory consequences, namely reprisals and detrimental action
Complement the current communication channels between employees, sub-contractors and immediate managers, and hierarchical channels flowing to the President and Senior Management team
Provide guidance to all parties involved in either whistleblowing or whistleblower protection.

1.2 Scope

Alinea requires all employees and sub-contractors to observe high standards of business and personal ethics in the conduct of their duties and responsibilities. All employees and sub-contractors of Alinea are required to comply with applicable laws and regulations of Canada and the countries where we operate. Any allegations of known or suspected improper conduct or mismanagement of organizational resources will be dealt with in accordance with this Policy, and reasonable steps will be taken to protect those who come forward with allegations. Alinea’s Whistleblower Policy covers both internal and external whistleblowing, and establishes the controls and procedures for dealing with allegations of malpractice, fraud and violations of our code of ethics and/or laws or regulations that govern our operations. This Policy is intended to encourage employees and sub-contractors to report known or suspected improper conduct or mismanagement of organizational resources and to enable Alinea’s Senior Management team to address and correct inappropriate action. It is the responsibility of all Board of Directors’ members, the Senior Management team, employees and sub-contractors to report concerns about known or suspected malpractice, fraud and violations of our code of ethics and/or laws or regulations that govern our operations. This Policy is applicable to all employees and sub-contractors of Alinea International.

1.3 Reporting Procedures

Alinea recognizes the value of transparency and accountability in its administrative and management practices and supports the making of disclosures that reveal improper conduct or mismanagement of organizational resources. Our internal controls and operating procedures are intended to detect and prevent malpractice, fraud and violations of our code of ethics and/or laws or regulations that govern our operations. As detailed in Alinea’s Employee Policy and Onboarding manuals, employees and sub-contractors are encouraged to share complaints and/or concerns regarding ethical or legal violations with their immediate managers. If the employee or sub-contractor is not comfortable speaking with their immediate manager or is not satisfied with the response, they are encouraged to speak with the Gatineau or Calgary Office Managers, the Vice Presidents or, as required, the Chief Financial Officer. All members of the Senior Management team are required to report complaints and/or concerns about suspected ethical or legal violations in writing to Alinea’s Ethics Committee who has the responsibility to investigate all reported complaints and/or concerns. In the event that the complaint and/or concern is about the President, it should be raised by the employee or sub-contractor to their immediate manager or the Ethics Committee who will determine how the investigation will proceed. All reports will be promptly investigated and appropriate corrective measures will be taken if warranted by the investigation. Alinea’s Ethics Committee is responsible for acknowledging receipt of the suspected violation and notifying the whistleblower of the outcome of the investigation. Anyone filing a written complaint concerning suspected improper conduct or mismanagement of organizational resources must be acting in good faith and have reasonable grounds for believing the information disclosed indicates a violation. Personal grievances or complaints related to employment are not covered under Alinea’s Whistleblowing Policy. For cases such as this, employees and sub-contractors are advised to first refer to Alineas Employee Policy and Onboarding manuals when considering a disclosure under the Whistleblowing Policy. Any allegations that prove not to be substantiated and which prove to have been made maliciously or knowingly to be false will be viewed as a serious disciplinary offense.

1.4 Confidentiality

Maintaining confidentiality is crucial to ensure reprisals are not made against the whistleblower. Alinea is committed to safeguarding the identity of the whistleblower and to protecting the whistleblower against detrimental action taken in reprisal for allegations of suspected improper conduct or mismanagement of organizational resources. The Ethics Committee is responsible for ensuring whistleblowers are protected from direct and indirect detrimental action, and that the culture of the workplace is supportive of suspected allegations being made. Any employee who retaliates against someone who has reported a violation in good faith is subject to discipline up to and including termination of employment.

1.5 Review

Alinea is committed to implementing ‘best practice’ policies and procedures for dealing with allegations of suspected improper conduct or mismanagement of organizational resources (as defined by this Policy) and the management and protection of whistleblowers making allegation(s). This Policy will be reviewed periodically to ensure it meets the objectives of relevant legislation and remains effective for Alinea, and may be changed at the discretion of the Board of Directors at any time. For allegations of fraud, securities law, or human rights concerns, or when you are not satisfied or uncomfortable with following the Company’s open door policy, individuals should contact the Company’s Ethics Committee directly.

Click here to close window

Members of Ukrainian Association of Women in Law Enforcement share knowledge with international peers