Women in the National Police Force have this year hit 11 per cent, up from the previous nine per cent.

This has been revealed by Supt. Annociata Mukahigiro the coordinator of Rwanda National Police women network during an interview held at the sidelines of an event that saw women police visit Gisozi Memorial Centre.

Women Police from Northern Province and Central Province visited the memorial alongside their male counterparts following a week-long training in various courses to enhance their leadership skills and operations.

"This network aims at equipping women police to have self esteem, confidence and the spirit of I can do it,” Mukahigiro said at the memorial.

She said the network was established to address challenges met by women police in the police force originating from culture which has instilled inferiority complex in them.

"Different deployments have been made and every time some commanders who would be given women police would consider it laughable deployment,” she explained.

"But today, I am happy to say that after intense sensitisation, this attitude has changed and also yielded into increased recruitments of women in the force, we now have women police station commanders and we are hopeful to get District Police Commanders (DPC).”

She added: "Most of women are kept in offices for secretarial work and men would not think that women can be deployed to do field work even up to now.”

According to Mukahigiro the network also involves male counterparts identified as ‘men for change’ who campaign for giving equal rights to women in the police force.

Rwanda National Police women network was formed 2007 but was launched officially in 2008 to build self confidence and play a major role in fighting Gender Based Violence.

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