Headquartered in The Hague, the Netherlands, we assist the 28 EU Member States in their fight against serious international crime and terrorism. We also work with many non-EU partner states and international organisations.
Large-scale criminal and terrorist networks pose a significant threat to the internal security of the EU. Terrorism, cybercrime and people smuggling, to name just a few, pose a severe threat to the safety and livelihood of its people.
But new dangers are also growing, such as online radicalisation and trafficking in human beings. The networks behind the crimes in each of these areas are quick to seize new opportunities, and they are resilient in the face of traditional law enforcement measures.
Today, more than 200 women from all over the European Union and beyond are working at Europol’s headquarters in The Hague. They represent a variety of disciplines, backgrounds and cultures and fulfil various roles in a wide range of fields including law enforcement operations, media and communication, human resources, IT, security and more.
Europol attaches great importance to equal employment opportunities for men and women and also recognises the positive impact of a diverse and balanced workforce. Organisational performance relies on the complementarity and diversity of behaviours. We believe that a diverse and gender-balanced workforce provides a broader set of ideas, creativity and experience.
Europol embraces gender equality and diversity and aim to create and maintain a healthy and attractive work environment, supporting women and men in their career planning and reconciliation of professional and family life.
On International Women’s Day, Europol would like to recognise the achievements of all women working within the organisation, as well as to raise awareness of gender balance in law enforcement.
Please visit our Women at Europol page
We would like to encourage women and men to explore career opportunities at Europol by visiting our Recruitment & Internship page, where more information about working for the agency can be found, and where vacancies are published on a regular basis.
Despite significant achievements in fostering equality between the sexes, gender gaps still remain and, across the European Union, women are still largely outnumbered by men in positions of responsibility in all fields. The situation of women in law enforcement has significantly improved throughout the last 100 years, but there is still more work to be done.
Gender Balance
32.3% female and 67.7% male staff (average value in 2016)
The development and implementation of the Gender Balance project is based on the recognition that having a more diverse and balanced workforce would have a positive impact on Europol’s performance.
Europol questions and answer session
(please scroll to 2:56)
See below a testimonial from a Female employee at Europol about what it’s like to work at Europol and what drove Julia to her current position.
Name: Julia Viedma
Nationality: Spanish
Role: Head of Horizontal Operational Services
What is your background? What did you do/study before working for your organisation?
A police officer from the Spanish National Police with a background in counterterrorism and Organized Crime and specialised in International Police Cooperation.
What drove you to choose your current position?
Maximise my professional background but also enhance management and leadership skills
What single fact would surprise people the most about you?
Capability to analyse a problem in a comprehensive but quick manner in order to identify solutions as well as my capability to take decisions.
What do you look for in candidates?
Sense of initiative, commitment and openness to learning and to accept new challenges
What first attracted you to this organisation?
Dynamism and development possibilities
What’s the best thing about working for the organisation?
Multicultural environment, diversity of tasks and possibility to build up expertise in different domains
What are your proudest achievements with your organisation?
Just started, I’m bringing some consistency in work assignment and decision making processes
Nicest fact/surprise about your organisation/employer?
General open-mindedness to accept/study new proposals
What advice would you give other women interested in following in your footsteps?
Modern organisations are looking forward gender equality, which doesn’t mean that women will be recruited only because of the fact to be a woman. We must be as competitive and committed as our male counterparts. Your expertise and your experience will be recognised by your employer only if you are able to promote yourself and to believe in your own capabilities. Dare to challenge yourself being confident in your own merits and capabilities.
