UNODC Empowers Female Officers in Maritime Law Enforcement Across Eastern Africa

© UNODC
Vienna ( Austria ), 18 December 2020 — Today, maritime law enforcement remains a professional discipline where the majority of officers are males, and at the tanzanian Marine Police, women make up less than 20 per cent of the work force with 57 female officers out of a sum of 324 officers .
“ Men and women make up around 50-50 per cent of the total population, but if you look around you [ at the Marine Police ], you can see that we still have a long direction to go, ”
Ms. Safia A. Kongo, Assistant Commissioner Police Commissioner at with the Maritime Police of Mwanza, Tanzania points out. “ When you train a charwoman, you train a nation, ” she says.

however, this doesn ’ thymine faze Ms. Kongo and she remains powerfully committed to promoting women ’ sulfur participation in nautical jurisprudence enforcement ; a passion she transmitted at the gradation ceremony of a UNODC Global Maritime Crime Programme ( GMCP ) train organized earlier this year .
sustainable Development Goal ( SDG ) 16 : peace, Justice & Strong Institutions, UNODC supports the establishment of effective, average and humanist criminal justice systems ; while continuing to empower women to take part and actively contribute to greater efficiency across justice systems .
Having both men and women evenly represented in maritime law enforcement is besides essential for the attainment SDG 5 : Gender Equality. equal representation serves to farther foreground women ’ sulfur contributions to the maritime law enforcement discipline, which is highly beneficial to this and other male-dominated industries .
“ When searching a vessel, the board team may encounter women and children among the crew of the wiretap vessel. This is one of the examples of the importance of women on board, as the women will be able to search the women and children, ” shares able Seawoman Temoi Caroline Chepteek, from the Kenya Coast Guard Service in Mombasa .
cultural norms in certain countries prohibit women from being touched by men who are not members of their families. If no female officers are part of the board team, then male officers would have to search these women ; breaking with cultural norms and inducing undue stress.

Zena Shayo, Police Constable of the Marine Police in Mtwara ( Tanzania ) is among the officers who participated in the UNODC GMCP course held in October 2020. This train provided her with the opportunity to further enhance her skills alongside other officers from Kenya and Tanzania. All trainees besides took character in the advance Visit, Board, Search and Seizure Course, held jointly with Maldives Coast Guard officers in Hulhumale, Maldives .
UNODC ’ randomness Global Maritime Crime Programme is committed to gender mainstreaming and supports Member States in achieving gender-balance in nautical law enforcement across all levels, to both ensure diversity and improve efficiency. The function women play in the detection, probe and pursuance of nautical crimes is much neglected, whether they act as facilitators, financiers, law enforcement officers, perpetrators or victims .
“ Mentorship programs by other women in the discipline, will enable these women to see other opportunities, including leadership opportunities, that are available to them as there presently exists a lack of awareness about opportunities for women in the maritime jurisprudence enforcement field, ” says Claudia Sanchez, UNODC Maritime Domain Awareness Expert and mentor for female maritime law enforcement officers .
“ Currently women are given an opportunity to participate in maritime law enforcement. We will be estimable ambassadors when we return to Tanzania and I encourage women to join the nautical power in the populace ! ” invites Police Constable Zena Shayo.

Further information:

• UNODC’s Global Maritime Crime Programme