The Police honour the International Women’s Day in Maribor with a celebration and the Police Orchestra’s spring concert

Slovenian Police solemnly celebrated the upcoming International Women’s Day, today, March 4, 2026, with an event at the picturesque Union Hall in Maribor. As a tribute and expression of gratitude, we dedicated the Police Orchestra’s spring-themed concert to all female police officers and women employed by the police. A new anthology on the women in the Slovenian police was also presented at the event.

According to the Director General of the Police Damjan Petrič, who addressed the participants, women make up for approximately 30 percent of the police force, and about 20 percent of the uniformed police. As he noted, the job of a police officer is demanding and often one of the most stressful professions: "Irregular working hours. The pressure of responsibility. And often a double burden of the career and family. This requires more than just professionalism. It requires character. In the coming period, we will pay special attention to developing leadership competencies among female officers, mentoring, and better representation of women in leadership positions." On the occasion of the upcoming International Women’s Day, he wished all the women in the police force to be proud of their work and to feel safe, respected, and heard in the process.

This year’s celebration holds special significance. 90 years have passed since the first female police officer Danica Lovrečič joined the then police force ("milica") in 1936. This was a very courageous and visionary step for its time. Historical sources confirm that women have been present in the police force for a very long time, with 1973 being a significant milestone, when the police recruited the first uniformed female police officers, known at the time as "miličnice". They began performing the same duties as their male colleagues at police stations and soon demonstrated that the police profession is not reserved solely for men.

Today, women are an indispensable part on all levels and areas of police work, especially owning to their dedication, professionalism, empathy, and determination. The stories written by women in the police force are not just stories about individuals, but also about milestones, changes, and progress. Many of these stories were compiled by retired police officer Mirko Ploj and Aleksander Thaler, former director of the Maribor Police Directorate, and published in the latest anthology titled "Women in the former milica/police in the area of the Maribor Police Directorate."

The Police Orchestra played a thoughtfully curated concert programme for police employees on Women’s Day in the neo-Baroque setting of the Union Hall. The orchestra and their conductor Nejc Bečan, who evoked timeless pieces with their instruments, ranging from classical to pop, were joined on stage by the singer and excellent vocalist Gregor Ravnik as soloist.

The programme of the celebration was livened up by the humorous interventions from the host, the stand-up comedian Sašo Stare, who filled the event with good cheer and laughter.