Rwanda National Police

A two-day meeting for the gender sub-committee of the Eastern Africa Police Chiefs Cooperation Organization (EAPCCO) opened on Thursday, September 28, at the Rwanda National Police (RNP) General Headquarters, Kacyiru to validate the Women Police Network (WPN) draft strategic plan and its constitution.

The meeting brought together legal experts and gender sub-committees from the 14-member bloc.

The strategy and constitution were drafted as key instruments in the establishment and implementation of the regional Women Police Network.

While opening the workshop, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Teddy Ruyenzi, said that there are a lot of issues regarding protection of women and children in communities that require the intervention of professional police women.

"Women are key to socio-economic development and they need to be supported and empowered to remove all barriers that limit their performance," ACP Ruyenzi said.

She further observed that the EAPCCO gender sub-committee and Kigali International Conference Declaration (KICD) are among various regional platforms that can enhance the capacity of women in law enforcement agencies to enable them excel in their career.

"The constitution of Women Police Network will help member countries to have a clear gender mainstreaming strategy for our Police institutions and specifically on women police empowerment programmes towards professionalism," ACP Ruyenzi added.

Robert Mabera from Interpol Regional Bureau in Nairobi, said that the women network aims to serve as a platform for promoting gender mainstreaming in law enforcement and advocating for women empowerment in the region.

Mabera said: "We must recognize that while many of our member countries have made commendable progress in promoting gender equality and empowering women within their respective law enforcement organizations, the establishment of a regional network is a critical step towards harmonizing our practices."

This, he added, will provide a structured platform for female officers to share experiences, knowledge, address challenges, and collectively advocate for their empowerment.