OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe and Tajikistan’s Interior Ministry convey a meeting to promote women’s role in police
The OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe (the Office) organized a two-day roundtable discussion on the role of women in law enforcement agencies with a focus on empowering women in the police sector. The event, co-organized with Tajikistan’s Interior Ministry and the Japan International Co-operation Agency, took place on the outskirts of Dushanbe on 12 and 13 March.
Twenty women police officers and female representatives of other agencies participated in the meeting. Key speakers included Umarjoni Emomali, Deputy Head of Office of Tajikistan’s Interior Ministry and Florian Razesberger, Head of the Politico-Military Department of the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe.
Participants discussed the importance of setting up a group that will help women play a more prominent role in the police sector. They also considered the idea of establishing an association and its mandate. The Office provided information and recommendations based on the experiences of women police associations already existing in other OSCE participating States.
“This roundtable discussion offered our women police officers an opportunity to exchange their views on how attracting more women in the police could improve the work of the law enforcement agency by bringing a broad range of experiences and knowledge. We hope that such meetings can be held more regularly to improve the status of women in our police force,” said Colonel Khushvakhtzoda Bibihol Gafur, Associate Professor of the Department of Defense in the 5th Faculty of the Police Academy of Tajikistan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs.
“There are numerous experiences and studies across the OSCE region demonstrating that increasing the number of women in the police sector, and their representation in senior roles, benefits the entire society,” said Florian Razesberger. Head of the Politico-Military Department of the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe. He added that the Office is ready to further support the Tajikistan Interior Ministry in this area.