The Sierra Leone Police (SLP), in collaboration with the British Peacekeeping Support Team–Africa, on Tuesday, 13 January 2025, commenced a four-day capacity-building workshop for thirty (30) female police officers at the Police Wives Association Multipurpose Hall, Kingtom Police Barracks.
The workshop brings together past and prospective female peacekeepers, providing a platform for experience sharing, mentoring and strategic engagement aimed at strengthening female leadership, participation and performance in peacekeeping operations.
The training focuses on key peacekeeping principles, including the nature of conflict in Africa, United Nations (UN) and African Union (AU) peace arrangements, and the fundamental principles guiding peacekeeping missions.
Delivering the keynote address, the Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), Sahr Yomba Senesi, emphasised that the Sierra Leone Police, under the astute leadership of the Inspector General of Police, Mr William Fayia Sellu, remains firmly committed to gender sensitivity and inclusivity.
He disclosed that several strategic positions within the SLP are currently headed by female officers, including the Corporate Services Directorate, Community and Gender Directorate, Peacekeeping Department and the Operational Policy and Planning Department (OPPD), as well as a number of divisions where female officers serve as Local Unit Commanders (LUCs) across the country.
DIG Senesi further recalled that the current SLP leadership demonstrated a strong commitment to women’s empowerment by allocating a 100 per cent quota to female personnel deployed on the Formed Police Unit (FPU-5) peacekeeping mission in Somalia.
He noted that capacity building remains a core pillar of the SLP 2025–2029 Strategic Development Plan (SDP), adding that the workshop is designed to adequately prepare and position female officers for effective participation and leadership in peacekeeping missions.
Speaking at the event, the British High Commissioner to Sierra Leone, Her Excellency Josephine Gauld, underscored the importance of building female capacity in peacekeeping operations. She highlighted the value of the training in enhancing confidence, improving performance in peacekeeping mission examinations, promoting knowledge sharing and preparing officers to operate effectively in an international environment. She wished participants a successful workshop.
Meaningful contributions were also made by representatives from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Gender and Children’s Affairs, who described the training as timely and vital in strengthening the capacity of female police officers for effective security service delivery in international theatres.
A group photograph marked the climax of the opening session of the four-day workshop.
