The Network for Women Advocacy (NWA) has hailed the recent pronouncements by the 18th Inspector-General of Police, Mr Solomon Arase, proscribing obnoxious police laws and rules discriminating and inhibiting the growth, development and empowerment of female police officers.The IGP also vowed to fight all forms of gender based violence against women in the country just as he promised to enhance gender mainstreaming in the country including removal of every obstacles to gender mainstreaming.
A statement by Hajia Rabi Ibrahim, national patron of the group noted that “as an organization, which galvanizes public support for positive government policies and programmes especially empowerment of women, NWA finds IGP steps bold, courageous, interesting and welcome development in the face of deluge of discrimination against women
The statement said “NWA commends the Inspector-General of police for proscribing inhibitive, discriminative and obnoxious police laws and rules against female officers which is in line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s gender friendly and sensitive administration, which will open a floodgate of maximum utilization of potentials of female officers to beef up the fragile security in the country.
It “is emphatic that it is very patriotic and a cheering news to witness in our lifetime the prescription of such barbaric, inhuman and degrading police laws such as: banning a married police woman with civil husband from living in the barracks; disqualification of married women from enlisting in the police, dismissal of pregnant unmarried woman, non-recognition of the status as a married woman in personnel matters such as posting and transfers; 2 year moratorium given to single police officers before marriage; no provision for husbands in cases of travelling allowances, compensation, gratuity and disability pensions etc.
It further urged the The Inspector General of Police to pursue to their logical conclusion the proscription of these obnoxious laws inimical to the growth of not only female officers but the entire police force and internal security and ensure co-operation with other relevant government organizations for proper legalizing and gazetting of the proscription for record purposes and posterity.
“NWA notes the professional gains and benefits of this proscription to the service such as promotion of equality of rules applicable to both female and male officers; enhancement of an all-inclusive policy to accommodate all sexes in the force for national development; proper integration, morale boosting and equipping of female police officers for maximum performance and efficiency and equal opportunities for all sexes in terms of recruitment, welfare packages, training and promotions.
“It is equally encouraging that the Inspector General of Police has vowed to fight all forms of gender based violence against women that is rife in the country. The women are the mothers and builders of the nation and can no longer be molested, manhandled, humiliated, injured, harassed and unfairly treated.
Also, the group tasked the Presidency, National Assembly, Police Authorities, the Media, Civil Society, Women Leaders and other relevant stakeholders to support the revolution in Nigeria Police Force aimed at sanitizing the crude, inhibiting and obnoxious laws against Nigerian women and the war against gender based violence against women respectively.
