The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s (FCDO) Maria Stanley, accompanied by her lovely dog, Nellie, spent a morning with PolicingTV’s Bernard Rix to record three videos. In this first, she talks a little about her career to date and her current role working with the British Overseas Territories’ police forces on Gender Mainstreaming – and more about her broader involvement in developing, and networking with, Women in Policing during her career.

“I loved policing, from Day One. It was exciting, you had the opportunity to help people, and it was just so varied. You never knew from one shift to another what you were going to get. I worked with some great people there, and one of the opportunities I had was to join the Women in Policing network”.

“In 2018, I went to the College of Policing… [which] up to that point was the best job I’d ever had. I absolutely loved it!”… I met some absolutely fantastic people doing some really, really great work, and learned a lot about what you can do to support people who are in under-represented groups”.

And to the present day… “I’m in a job I love, [and] completely by accident I see this job advertised, thought ‘ooh, that looks interesting’. An opportunity to work with the British Overseas Territories, supporting a whole host of projects, and 40% of the role would be on Gender Mainstreaming”.

“One of the biggest drivers of change in policing – and this is why I’m trying to do what I’m trying to do – is the setting up of networks, and that would be the same for all the under-represented groups. Because networks enable people to get together and discuss the issues that they’re facing”.