In August 2021, the Women’s Network of the UNODC-WCO Container Control Programme (CCP) celebrated the graduation of 58 women CCP officers from the first-ever CCP Women’s Professional Development Programme (WPDP). This four-week training course, implemented in partnership with the Australian Border Force (ABF) and the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) University, brought together women from 11 countries in the Asia-Pacific region to learn key skills in areas such as leadership, management, and networking.
The CCP Women’s Network is pleased to announce that the WPDP’s push for the professional development of CCP women continues; on International Customs Day 2022, the graduates successfully completed a follow-up Alumni workshop. With a focus on enhancing leadership journeys, the curriculum of the two-week course centered on developing participants’ moral courage, communication skills (including public speaking), and emotional intelligence, as well as in setting ambitious career goals. With an overwhelmingly positive response, all participants stated that the workshop met or exceeded expectations. In fact, 100% of participants found the workshop useful or very useful in improving their critical communication skills and supporting the advancement of their leadership journeys. Participants specifically requested that the workshop provide the opportunity to examine the critical leadership qualities of moral courage and emotional intelligence. The women recognized that empathy, authenticity, and self-confidence are integral parts of great leadership.
The WPDP has successfully promoted the personal and professional growth of women in Customs from across the Asia-Pacific region. The Women’s Network recognizes that this training programme is vital in supporting the networks of CCP officers in the region. As one participant stated:
