The first National Conference for women in Police was organized in February 2002 at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi. Its major themes were evolving a strategic management approach for dealing with gender issues and the personal and professional development of women in the police. It also aimed to address perceptions of family and community, men and women, towards women in the police and aspired to set up a sharing, learning and knowledge forum for women in police.

A survey conducted on 506 women police officers confirmed gender inequalities in the police service, and the conference resolved to address these. Two of its important recommendations were: 

1. Setting up a forum for women in police in each state and at the centre to espouse, network and create opportunities for learning and sharing experiences with the aim of enabling women in police to make a more effective professional contribution to policing.

2. Improving facilities and work environment to enable women in police to perform more effectively.Following the first Conference the Ministry of Home Affairs took up the suggestion for creating fora for women in police with the States. Some funds were also allocated from the annual modernization grants for improving facilities for women in police. While some states reported the provision of toilets and rest rooms for women, in others the funds appear to have been used less pointedly.

The Bureau of Police Research and Development arranged a presentation on women in police at the annual DGsP/IGsP Conference in 2003. It also facilitated a presentation before the DGsP/IGsP Conference in 2004 by the Chairperson of the present conference, DGP Uttaranchal, Ms. Kanchan Choudhry Bhattacharya. Another important presentation was arranged for the heads of Police Training Institutes across the country at Tekampur in the year 2003. The response on these various occasions was very encouraging, with most police leaders expressing appreciation of the work being done in their states by women in the police, and acknowledging that their full potential was yet to be realized. There was also an understanding that steps needed to be taken by the governments and police organizations to facilitate the realization of this potential.