A Non-Governmental Organisation, Connected Development (CODE) on Friday sought the collaboration of the Nigerian Police to document the roles played by women police officers in responding to COVID-19 in Kaduna State.
CODE’s Senior Programme Manager, Mrs Lucy Abagi, disclosed this in Kaduna when she led a delegation on a courtesy call on Mr Umar Muri, the Commissioner of Police in the state.
Abagi said that documenting the women police roles would be carried out under the UN Women’s Strengthening State Capacities and Women’s Participation in COVID-19 Response project.
She pointed out that the Nigerian police had to contend with cases of uprising during the lockdown particularly the EndSARS protest and other security challenges in the state.
“We want to understand how the police responded to the security challenges that emanated during the lockdown and look at the gaps and the challenges the command encountered in responding to the issues.
“But more importantly, we want to know if there is any woman police officer at the front-line of the command’s operations or leading any COVID-19 policies or actions in the state.
“We want to document their roles, challenges and experiences, so we can amplify the roles played by women police officers in the response and decision-making processes of the Nigerian police during the lockdown.”
The senior programme manager said that CODE got support from UN Women to analyse the plans, policies and actions taken by the Kaduna State Government in responding to COVID-19.
She pointed out that the female deputy governor in the state, the six female commissioners and other women heading key parastatals were part of the taskforce that were still responding to COVID-19 issues in the state.
According to her, the goal is to document lessons learnt in the involvement of women in the decision-making process during the lockdown, how the decisions and action impacted on women and amplified them.
She said that the project sought to build the capacity of women in the state to participate in COVID-19 response and broaden their participation in the decision-making process in Kaduna state.
“We want to see the platforms Kaduna state provided for women and amplified the need for other states in the country to emulate and ensure that women were given a space in the frontline of COVID-19 response.
“This will ensure more women participation in the country’s leadership and governance structure,” she said.
Responding, the commissioner of police, represented by Deputy Commissioner of Police, Administration, Mr Chukwudi Ariekpere, said that the Nigerian police does not discriminate against women.
The commissioner said that there were significant numbers of women police officers as Chief Superintendent of Police, Superintendent of Police with some of them heading Divisions in the command.
Muri said that the women officers in the command have played key roles during the lockdown and promised to provide the needed data to the NGO as requested. (NAN)
