DCAF Trains Female Officers on Leadership and Command
The 2020-2024 Security Sector Reform Strategy prioritizes efforts to tackle long-standing, cross-cutting challenges in Priority Area Four. This includes the development of a Gender Act, as well as building the capacity of institutions to effectively incorporate gender mainstreaming and conducting sensitization programs to address gender-related issues. These outputs are aimed at creating a more inclusive and equitable security sector.
As part of its support to security sector reform in The Gambia, DCAF- Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance has been working to empower female officers in the Gambia Police Force and Gambia Immigration Department. Recently, DCAF provided a three-day training program on Leadership and Command for fifty senior female officers to build their leadership skills and enable them to take on significant roles in their institutions.
According to one participant, “The training was very valuable and has provided us with the skills and knowledge to be effective leaders in our institutions. We now understand the importance of gender mainstreaming and how it can benefit our institutions.” Another participant noted, “I appreciate the effort made by DCAF to empower women in the security sector. It is encouraging to see that our gender is being recognized as a valuable asset to the security sector.”
This training is just one example of DCAF’s ongoing efforts to promote gender equality in the security sector. For instance, female officers in the GPF and GID have already benefited from gender awareness training, which has helped raise awareness about gender-related issues. Additionally, DCAF has worked with the GPF to develop a Gender Policy, which provides guidance on how to promote gender mainstreaming within the institution. A similar policy is currently being planned for the GID.
Furthermore, to provide female police leaders with role models and mentors, DCAF has established a partnership between female officers in the GPF and their counterparts in the United Kingdom. This mentoring scheme is instrumental in empowering female officers and helping them achieve their full potential.
Through these initiatives, DCAF is committed to supporting gender mainstreaming in the security sector and empowering women to take on leadership roles. By working closely with the GPF and GID under projects funded by the European Union and Swiss Confederation respectively, DCAF is helping to promote a more gender-equal and inclusive security sector in The Gambia.