Female police officers attend workshop

The Liberia National Police in collaboration with UNMIL Female Officers Support Network over the weekend held a one-day  training workshop for Liberian female officers at the National Police Headquarter in Monrovia under theme, “Make it happen; women stand up!, you have the right to lead and participate at all level.”

The Chief of Gender Division at the LNP, ACP Sadatu L.M. Reeves, on behalf of the LNP administration thanked female police officers for turning up in mass for the workshop, purposely designed for them.

She said the huge presence of the female officers at the exercise assured her that indeed, they are ready to make things happen for themselves at the level of the Liberia National Police, saying, “I can see that it’s indeed time that you people are ready to say that we are going to make things happen and we must make things happen for ourselves so I applause you for that.”

She continued that the workshop was intended to reawaken the Liberian Police Female Association and further that the association has been in existence to advocate for females, create capacity building, training and making sure that female officers are mainstreamed.

Chief of Gender Reeves noted that the association had been inactive for the past time, but assured female members of the LNP that it’s time they discover the obstacle and move forward.

She also encouraged them to hold together at all times in moving the association forward, noting that this was the main reason for the workshop. “This workshop will be interactive; no one is going to present; we are going to identify our problems and fine solution to those problems you identify and justify why we say those are the solutions to those problems”, he added.

For his part, the Commissioner of Police for Operations, Gregory W. O. Coleman, noted that the strength of a woman should never be underestimated and furthered that as a young man coming up with a single mother; he understood the power of a woman.

Commissioner Coleman continued that no matter how the Liberian Police Women Association has inactive, its members have been alive. He said the workshop was intended to reawaken the association from where it has been for the last two years to a place it will claim lot of attention from the international community in fulfillment of resolution 1345. 

By Ben P. Wesee