Senior foreign officials, representing key foreign organizations in the country, at a ceremony called on the Ministry of Interior to strengthen women’s role in police as they have passed through difficult circumstances in serving the country.

Canada’s Ambassador in Kabul, François Rivest, called on Afghan government to improve the safety of policewomen in the country.

“We are in particularly encouraged to see the efforts by the national unity government to improve opportunities for women in policing and to improve their safety and the protection of their rights, in particular the recruitment and training of female police officers, the creation of a police town for women, the establishment of family response units of women police councils,” he said.

NATO's Senior Civilian Representative to Afghanistan, Cornelius Zimmermann, meanwhile praised women’s role in police and called for increasing their role in the Afghan police lines.  

“Women had no easy time that they had to overcome resistance of their own families and that at times they even suffered from discrimination by their male colleagues… This group of female police officers stands for the resilience of the Afghan women who in spite of all obstacles have made it and who are actively promoting the case of women in this country and we need such credible personalities in this country if we want to drive Afghanistan forward,” he said.

Why women have lesser role in Ministry of Interior and what are the programs of the new interior minister for boosting women’s role in Afghan police were the questions raised at a ceremony in Canada Embassy in Kabul on Thursday.

Interior Minister Wais Ahmad Barmak said improving women’s role in police is his top priority.

“We want to have a meaningful participation. It means that women should have first, in terms of their roles, what roles they will play, what positions they will hold in the future. Everything should be meaningful no symbolic,” Barmak said. 

Ministry of Interior’s information shows that at least 3,000 women are serving in the lines of police. This number forms at least two percent of Afghanistan’s police. 

The interior minister said they are planning to double the number within a short time.