Norman Dururu
GWERU – The deliberate move to capacitate women within the Zimbabwe Republic Police has resulted in a significant increase in female officers assuming senior leadership positions, a development that was once uncommon in the organisation.
Speaking on the sidelines of the ZRP Women Network Junior Officers Capacity Building Workshop held in Gweru, the network’s national chairperson, Commissioner Grace Ndou said the organisation is now witnessing women serving as officers-in-charge of police stations, commanding districts and holding the rank of commissioner.
Commissioner Ndou said since the establishment of the ZRP Women Network in 2009, notable milestones have been achieved.
She explained that the core objective of the network was to equip female officers with the skills and confidence required to perform at the same level as their male counterparts.
“To date, we can confidently say that almost 30 percent of officers-in-charge within the organisation are women.
“We also have female officers commanding districts and occupying the position of commissioner, which was not very common before the inception of the Women Network,” she said.
She noted that although women have always been part of the organisation, they were previously underrepresented in leadership and decision-making roles due to limited access to leadership capacitation.
“We needed to be empowered on what leadership entails, decision-making and developing the right mindset to be effective police officers,” Commissioner Ndou said.
She added that some female officers have since been seconded to external assignments, including duties under the United Nations, while others continue to benefit from training and development programmes aimed at enhancing their professional knowledge and competencies.
Although acknowledging that more progress is still required, Commissioner Ndou said the network has recorded tremendous achievements over the years.
The workshop, held in collaboration with the National University of Science and Technology, targeted officers-in-charge from across the country and covered a wide range of subjects aimed at strengthening managerial and leadership skills.
She said the programme was also designed to remind officers of their duties and responsibilities in order to improve service delivery to the public.
Commissioner Ndou highlighted that the ZRP was among the first organisations in the country to introduce a sexual harassment policy in 2010, a move that has helped curb the vice and empowered female officers.
“Sexual harassment often discourages women from aspiring to leadership positions, but having a clear policy allows the organisation to address such issues effectively when they arise,” she said.
In a speech read on his behalf by ZRP Deputy Commissioner-General Human Resources Mind Elliot Ngirandi, Commissioner General Stephen Mutamba said the partnership between the ZRP Women Network and NUST aligns with the police force’s broader strategy to capacitate all its members.
He said the higher number of female participants at the workshop reflects a deliberate commitment to inclusive capacity building and gender-responsive leadership development.
“Gender mainstreaming in capacity development ensures inclusivity and equity in organisational growth,” he said, adding that quality service is a product of deliberate and sustained effoArt.
Commissioner General Mutamba urged the ZRP Women Network leadership to ensure that female officers continue to participate in all available training programmes to further enhance policing excellence.
