Fifteen Female Police Officers Promoted After Concluding Leadership Training
Group Photo © Askanwi
By Edward Francis Dalliah
The Gambia Police Force (GPF) has promoted fifteen female police officers out of twenty after undergoing a one-year Gender Promotion Initiative (GPI) program funded by the European Union and implemented by the Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance (DCAF).
The initiative was centred on leadership and operational capacities and is part of the Security Sector Reform (SSR) project, focused on fostering gender equality and empowering women for senior roles within the Police Force. According to the National Security Policy, one of its goals is to “ensure empowerment and equal participation of women in the decision-making processes, including at the strategic level”.
In May 2022, the GPF promoted Sireh Jabang as the first female officer to occupy the position of Deputy Chief of Police Operations. In a Facebook post, they highlighted that “women Police have made an enormous contribution to policing in The Gambia [and] policing would be far less fair and effective today without their presence”.
Speaking at the initiative's closing ceremony yesterday 30th October 2024 at the Metzy Hotel in Kololi, the GPF Banjul Region Commissioner, Amie Nyassi highlighted that the 20 selected officers “have completed a comprehensive capacity-building training in various fields of policing, leadership, and management as part of the Gender Promotional Initiative (GPI).”
She further revealed that “through this promotional initiative, fifteen [of the female officers] out of the twenty were promoted to various ranks”. In addition, Commissioner Nyassi appealed to DCAF to expand the initiative so that other female officers would benefit and also to the office of the IGP for “consideration of the remaining five officers who were not promoted for an evaluation to their next ranks”.
Commissioner Nyassi © Askanwi
Responding to her plea, Assistant Inspector General of Police Ebrima Bah noted that “I had the Commissioner earlier saying she would want to see the remaining police officers promoted in the next promotion program, hopefully, it will be done; is not a promise”. He revealed that the feedback they got before the closing ceremony with testimonies given by DCAF, “the police speaking on behalf of the command can comfortably say that the remaining five officers are eligible for promotion”. However, “when I said eligible for promotion it means you have the qualification, qualities, [and] have what it takes to be promoted to the next one if not above that one hopefully you will be promoted”, he pointed.
Women Officers at the Training © Askanwi
Comparing female representation within the Gambia Police over the years, Assistant IGP Bah highlighted that “some thirty years ago or even as recent as 15 years ago, the number of female officers in the high ranks was very few but when you look around now you are impressed”, He pointed out that now the Gambia Police Force has seen an increase not only in senior female officers but “young senior female officers which is very encouraging for the future”.
In conclusion, he urged them to demonstrate commitment and “continue to foster an environment where diversity is valued and where every officer regardless of gender has the opportunity to strive”. IGP Bah also challenged them to be a beacon of positive change within the Gambia Police Force.
Assistant IGP Ebrima Bah © Askanwi
DCAF Banjul Head Office, Ken Isaac gave an overview of the concluded training while highlighting that the average examination marks from the Officers was 89%, however, one out of the twenty scored 100% and some others came very close to it.
Also, Mr Bill Priestley who delivered some of the training exercises highlighted that throughout the training the twenty participants displayed exceptional courage and commitment engaging with subjects that they were not familiar with but had taken them on board enhancing thier continuous professional development.
DCAF Banjul Head Ken Isaac © Askanwi
