Dame Tallen advocates the review of Nigeria Police Gender Policy to reflect current realities.
Oru Leonard
The Honourable Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline K. Tallen OFR, KSG has advocated a review of Nigeria Police’s Gender Policy to reflect current realities.
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 Headquarter, Friday, 17th September, 2021.
“Let me therefore congratulate you for sustaining the appointment of the Force Gender Advisor and appointing the most senior female police officer to occupy the position.”
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.”
Going further, Tallen pointed out: “I must confess that this has brought the Police Force closer to the workings of the Ministry, especially in matters relating to Gender-Based Violence and other such related cases.”
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;
Group photo of the Gender Policy reform advocates with the IGP Alkali Baba’s Team, 17/9/2012.
Establishing gender focal points in every Police Command and Police Stations in the country to enable address the growing menace of gender-based violence;
An appeal that the next recruitment should concede more slots to women; and
Approving more gender trainings and engagement for both male and female officers for the purpose of improving the Police Force.
Tallen commended the Nigeria Police Force for excelling at peace keeping assignments at both National and International spheres, especially when women police officers and ranks were deployed, she submitted that Nigeria police women represented Nigeria well.
The UN Country Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Comfort Lamptey highlighted areas of collaboration between The UNWomen, 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.
Explaining the delay in prosecution of offenders of Gender Based Violence, the IGP ascribed this to the imperative of painstaking investigations; the judicial process such as adjournment and lack of cooperation by other players involved in the Administration of Criminal Justice (ACJ).
Usman suggested advocacy, teaching, enlightenment, information sensitization on issues of Culture, Traditions, Norms and Values as those measures that can prevent gender-based violence and promised to look into any area where the current gender policy has error.
The delegation led by the Honourable Minister of Women Affairs to the IGP office includes; the President Women in Politics Forum, Ebere Ifendu; the National Coordinator of 100 Women Lobby Group; the Senior Special Adviser to Mr. President on Administration and Women Affairs in the Office of the First Lady, Dr. Rukayyatu Abdukareem Gurin among othersas well as Directors of Federal Ministry of Women Affairs.
(FMWA Media)
