Female officers of the organized forces in Torit are benefitting from the rapid empowerment through weekly capacity building workshops enhancing their professional standards. Last week’s main topic was “criminal investigation and prosecution”.

“Our colleague Betty just facilitated a session on domestic violence, proving our ability to serve as female police instructors or facilitators,” said Golda Chuku Idris, one of the female South Sudanese police officers attending the latest training organized by UN police serving with the United Nation Mission in South Sudan.

Out of 60 officers from the immigration, fire brigade, and police services who have attended all the workshops on offer, there have been more women than male participants.

These women are confident that they would be able to deliver quality services if given a chance to take on leadership positions, and the revitalized peace agreement signed in September 2018 supports them. The document stipulates that women are to be given 35 per cent political representation at all levels of governance and strongly encourages the inclusion of more women in the armed forces.

“We need to break the myth that women cannot deliver like men,” said Akongo Sunday, a fire brigade officer who attended the training.

Most of the female participants are single mothers who have dropped out of school, with many of them having married before the age of 18. To compete for leadership roles within the armed forces or elsewhere, they will need every educational opportunity they can get access to.

“I am happy because these female officers are learning and improving like university students. The continuous training you [UNMISS] offer them is like learning about laws at the police academy,” said Kasimiro Otomos Gaitano, deputy police commissioner in Torit town.

Before the country achieved its independence in 2011, it was virtually unthinkable for women to serve in any armed forces, but with the principles of human rights gradually gaining traction, things are slowly starting to change.

The learners were taken through various topics, including criminal investigations, crime scene protection, collecting and managing evidence, recording statements, dealing with cases of gender-based violence and human rights principles related to the rights and treatment of those held in custody.