Policing with Compassion

Sierra Leone

She is a beacon of hope for the aspiring women of . Senior Assistant Commissioner Kadi K. Fakondo is The presence of female officers in Family Support Units of the highest-ranking female officer in her country, and the Sierra Leone Police means that victims of rape, domestic a strong voice advocating for more women in the Sierra violence or sexual who were previously reluctant to Leone Police. come forward and seek help from the police can now be assured compassionate, humane and appropriate assistance. Commissioner Fakondo is playing a crucial part in rebuilding A network of trained local doctors provides free medical the national police service in a country that has been attention to victims who are referred from these Units. devastated by more than a decade of civil war. Victims can also be referred to providers of free legal advice.

During her own twenty-year career, Commissioner Fakondo The Family Support Units, which were established with the has seen the benefits of recruiting assistance of the UN Mission in women into the police service. And Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL), are key to she has stood up to the challenge combating a previously unchecked of commanding police teams in a area of in Sierra Leone. traditionally male-dominated During 2003, these Units received profession. more than 3,000 reports of sexual and physical violence, with women Commissioner Fakondo believes and girls estimated to make up policing is not a muscle-flexing around 90 per cent of the victims. profession. “Policing is about Senior Assistant brains, not brawn,” she commented. Commissioner Similar units focused on improving “Policing is a lifetime job for a Kadi K. Fakondo. assistance to women and children woman as well as a man – who are victims of crimes of this nature have been established recruitment is only the beginning. The police service needs to in other peacekeeping missions where the United Nations demonstrate consistently that it values women officers by Civilian Police (CivPol) has been given executive responsibility. including women in influential policy and decision-making These include the National Vulnerable Persons Unit in meetings, and by providing women with equal and challenging Timor-Leste and the Victims Advocacy and Assistance Unit career opportunities such as in in Kosovo, the latter of which combat units, specialized areas particularly focuses on victims or command roles.” Policing of trafficking. 19 In Sierra Leone, women currently represent 13 per cent of representation in the police are 22 per cent and 16 per cent the national police service. It is expected that this figure will respectively. It is encouraging that these female police officers increase as a result of training and are not only participating in administrative functions but are recruitment programmes run by UN often taking on leadership CivPol in conjunction with the Sierra Policing roles in policy and management Leone Police. Training programmes for new with or are involved in operational recruits have a target for female participation Compassion responsibilities. of 30 per cent. There is clearly still a long way to go, and the challenge In other post-conflict countries such as Timor-Leste and remains to heed Commissioner Fakondo’s call: to provide Kosovo, where UN involvement has consisted of training and equal opportunities for women like her to succeed in this building a police service from scratch, the figures for female traditionally male-dominated sphere.

In Sierra Leone, a woman police officer (centre) directs traffic.

Women as Partners in Peace and Security