Rwanda National Police

Rwanda National Police (RNP), on Wednesday, conducted one day training for its Gender Focal Persons in District Police Units aimed at reinforcing the national gender promotion agenda.

The training held at the RNP General Headquarters in Kacyiru explored networking among RNP female officers, their professional ethics in policing, role of gender focal persons in gender promotion and management of family issues.

While speaking at the opening of the training, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Barthelemy Rugwizangoga, Commissioner for Human Resource Management and Development in RNP, urged them to create a difference in their respective areas of responsibility.

He urged them to believe in themselves, love their work and aim for professional services.

"Uphold the core values of the institution, show what you stand for as women officers; believe that you can do what men can do," ACP Rugwizangoga said.

He appealed to them to break the cultural barriers. 

"The number of female police officers continues to increase because the government and RNP in particular believes that you can create change in policing," he added.

RNP, he said, considers gender promotion as one of the tools in the security and safety structures.

Currently, women comprise of about 21 percent of the total RNP and the force is moving towards the 30 percent national minimum threshold.

Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Dativa Iribagiza, the director for Gender Promotion in RNP, said that the institution established a firm ground for gender equality adding that this attracts more women to join the force.

"Female officers are given similar policing tasks in leadership, operations and peacekeeping among others, as men," CIP Iribagiza said.