Police Headquarters George Street, Friday 17 September 2021 Her Excellency the Poland Ambassador to Nigeria Madam Joanna Tarnawska who is in Sierra Leone on an official duty to open the Poland consulate today visited the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dr Ambrose Michael Sovula and held talks on key policing issues including women empower, sexual and gender base violence.
In her presentations the Polish Ambassador expressed interest in seeing women contribution in the force and opted to know the SLP ratio to the country population, women in the force and measure taking to tackle Sexual and Gender Base Violence (SGBV) in the country.
Briefing the Ambassador, the IGP, Dr. Ambrose Michael Sovula informed that the approximate population of the country is seven million, five hundred thousand (7.5m) and that the police population is fourteen thousand (14,000) which mean one police is to over five hundred people by ratio which he said is small but assured that plans are underway to have more police officers.
The SLP he said is looking at capacitating women to enable them fit for purpose, noting that they cannot be talking about 50-50 leaving out capacity building.
Dr. Sovula used the opportunity to appeal to the Poland Ambassador for capacity building for women in the SLP.
On her part, the Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Elizabeth Augusta Turay stood out herself as an example of women empowerment under the astute leadership of the current IGP.
The SLP today she went on to say has 20% women in key and strategic positions including operations, administration and even at the Executive Management Board (EMB) level.
DIG Turay continued that the SLP has developed a twin policy, the Gender mainstreaming and SGBV which deals with women issues.
Gender mainstreaming she said looks at equal opportunity for women when it comes to promotion, capacity building and career development for in the force.
Family Support Unit (FSU), the erudite female Police Boss said was created to deal with SGBV.
The President Bio led New Direction she said is determine to mitigate SGBV for which a presidential taskforce is being set up in the office of the president to look at gender issues.
The IGP she disclosed is working towards a one stop center where they can have all the stakeholders dealing with SGBV under one umbrella.
“So if a victim goes to make a report there, she can have a police to take her statement, a lawyer and a psychosocial therapist” said the DIG.
She concluded by also appealing for support.
