ONGWEDIVA – The Namibian police women division in the Oshana region has made it a mission to ensure that women in uniform are uplifted and empowered within the workforce.
According to the unit commander, Inspector Beverley Nawases, ensuring that women are empowered, brought to books for promotion and given equal opportunities as men is what her office is all about.
“In the past, men mostly dominated in all aspects of the police force – be it deployment to foreign missions or occupying crucial positions. The majority of men were then the ones who used to be recruited to join the police force,” said Nawases.
She said her office makes sure that women take their careers and studies seriously and take up challenging positions.
According to Nawases, at times, women are scared of speaking up and taking up positions that require decision-making.
“We are responsible for all females in uniform within the Namibian police in Oshana region. We are responsible for their well-being. Women are now taking up bigger decision-making positions within the police force. Most of the inspectors within our region are females. Oshana region is doing well in terms of empowerment,” said Nawases.
She said, currently, 52 women are undergoing training, which is an improvement from the past when you would have nearly 20 women out of 100 trainees.
“… now you can have 40 to 45 women training in the police force. As of now, we have 69 female police officers who have been promoted from 2021 to August 2023,” said Nawases.
In addition, Nawases said they also have a social responsibility to go out in the community and recognise disadvantaged homes and render them assistance.
She said the police Force is not a profit-making organisation, so it does fund raising events to gather funds and make monthly contributions to help disadvantaged homes, which strengthens the relationship and trust between the police and the community.
Nawases maintained that they also carry out awareness campaigns in the community to encourage women in all aspects of life.