International Women’s Day: events celebrating women in policing

3 March 2025

Two events to mark this year’s International Women’s Day (IWD) will be held at West Midlands Police Museum this month.

Celebrating inspirational females in policing, Federation members are invited to experience an unmissable development day aimed specifically for West Midlands Police officers and staff.

The event, which will take place on Thursday 13 March, will centre around a number of women, all with a background in policing and remarkable stories to tell from a wide array of careers.

As well as their personal histories, the special guests will also discuss their own female inspirations and hopes for the future.

Museum Heritage Manager Corinne Brazier said: “We are hugely excited to host this development day and bring so many people from the West Midlands Police family together to celebrate IWD.

“Ultimately, the purpose of the event is to remind female officers and staff that anything is possible for them as they go along their journeys in policing. It’s going to be really inspiring to learn about what previous generations of women in the force did to overcome challenges and barriers and achieve great things.

Women

“As West Midlands Police Museum, we are so proud of our Force’s incredible heritage, which is full of incredible figures, and we want other people to feel the same. This event will certainly make that happen.”

Speakers at the event will include Corinne herself, as she takes a deep dive into the history of women who have left their mark on policing within the county before attention shifts to some of those very people.

Attendees will hear from the likes of West Midlands Police’s first-ever dog handler, Elizabeth Dodd, first-ever Muslim lead chaplain, Khadija Sulaiman, and the most senior Black female officer, Superintendent Sam Batey.

Federation members can book tickets to attend by visiting the event’s page on the West Midlands Police Museum website, which is protected by a password to maintain exclusivity.

Event

This password can be found on a Newsbeat article sent out to the Force’s intranet on 15 February, titled ‘Join Our Development Day’.

The event will start at 9am with refreshments and a networking window, before speakers begin at 10am. Lunch and the chance to explore the rest of the museum will be provided, with the day set to finish at 3pm.

Meanwhile, Saturday 8 March will see the museum themed on IWD itself across its usual opening hours of 10am to 4pm.

Appearances from operational officers in firearms, forensics and roads policing are expected, as they share their experiences of being present-day female cops and staff in West Midlands Police and demonstrate some of their equipment.

“If you can’t make the development day, or you want to bring the family to the IWD celebrations at the museum, we will be very pleased to have you on the Saturday too,” added Corinne.

Inspired

“This is our opportunity to showcase to the public what women in policing are all about, so we have a fantastic day organised.

“Hopefully, people will leave our museum feeling inspired about what women can achieve. Obviously, there has been plenty of progression since the police force came into existence, but if there are any final challenges left for female officers, we want to play our part in educating and inspiring the next generation – and we are very proud to do so.”

Tickets to attend the museum on Saturday 8 March are available on its website at standard prices of £10 for adults and £6 for children aged between three and 15, with free entry children under the age of three. Other usual concessions and family and Blue Light discounts apply.

Any questions on the development day or wider IWD celebrations can be emailed to Corinne at corinne.brazier@westmidlands.police.uk