MINISTER of Women Affairs, Tallen advocates the review of Nigeria Police Gender Policy to reflect current realities.
This was revealed in a press release and signed by her Director of Press and Public Affairs, Ohejimi Oyetomi and made available to jouenalists in Abuja.
While commending the Nigeria Police as the first, of all institutions to develop a gender policy which was launched in 2012 to stop discrimination against female police officers and enhance the capacity of its officers in handling gender-based violence matters, Tallen called on the Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba to sustain and improve on the policy.
Tallen made this call when she embarked on advocacy visit to Louis Edet House, the Force Headquarters.
The Honourable Minister described the appointment of the most senior female police officer as gender advisor to the IGP and the Police Gender Policy as “clear indication of your (IGP Alkali Baba’s) commitment to reposition the Nigeria Police Force in line with global best practices, where men and women are given the same enabling environment to excel.”
Noting the role of Federal Ministry of Women Affairs as the custodian of the United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 on Women Peace and Security, the Honourable Minister said the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs will continue to work with partners such as UNWomen, UNFPA, UNDP, UNICEF, Civil Society Organizations and Women groups, to raise the bar in the 3rd Schedule of the UNSCR 1325. She frowned at the Gender Based Violence (GBV) statistics data report which showed only 15 cases of GBV that have been prosecuted, and demanded that the Police should ensure quick prosecution of offenders in Nigeria.
While expressing regrets that little achievement has been recorded since the launch of the Gender Policy; the little achievements, which she ascribed to poor documentation; absence of institutional memory; poor understanding of the concept of gender; non-involvement of critical stakeholders including men and women in the rank and files in the process to enable them own it; amongst many other reasons, Tallen requested from the IGP the followings:
Review of the existing Nigerian Police Gender Policy to reflect the current realities;
Have a woman in the Force Management Team;
Appointing more women in leadership roles, especially at State Command level as Commissioners of Police, Commanders of Mobile Police, and the Commanders of Special Protection Units;
Establishing gender focal points in every Police Command and Police Stations in the country to enable them address the growing menace of gender-based violence;
The UN Country Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Comfort Lamptey highlighted areas of collaboration between the UNHWomen, Ministry of Women Affairs and the Nigeria Police in the development of the Gender Policy among others. She requested the review of the gender policy and endorsement of the training manual of the Nigeria Police especially as it relates to gender policy and Standard Operational Practice (SOP).
When the Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba was responding, he expressed the readiness of the Nigeria Police Force to collaborate and synergize with the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs to promote gender equality.
He acknowledged the fact that the Force have gotten assistance in Standard Operating Procedures and Training Manual, Alkali informed the meeting that the Force has gender violence desk in all Commands; has women commanders in tactical commands citing that the present and first ever women Commissioners in volatile areas especially in Oyo and Anambra States and they are doing creditably well.
