10/12/2021
The European project to support community police is working to encourage women to apply to join the Internal Security Forces
Training in Lebanon.
As part of the implementation phase, the Promoting Community Policing project conducted a public survey that drew attention to the current lack of female representation in Lebanon among Municipal Police (MPs) and Internal Security Police Officers (ISF). The survey highlighted the need to increase gender equality when recruiting ISF and MP Officers. It highlighted the fact that to achieve this equality it would be needed to increase women’s interest to apply to the ISF and foster willingness on the part of both the MP and the ISF to improve the recruitment of female members.
This European project is leading by example while establishing itself as a good practice among international actors in the Lebanese security sector by promoting gender-sensitive policing practices. The work will be done with the help of specialists from the National Police.
Several activities have also been organised to encourage the participation of female officers. In one of the recent training sessions for the Lebanese Judicial Police, out of 40 participants nine were female officers. Some of these training sessions focused on leadership and testing scenarios, human rights, environment analysis, roles (victims, witnesses and suspects), criminal profiling, personality, surveillance and monitoring, police interrogations and final evaluation.
Specialised training has been delivered in Community Policing with the objective to prepare a group of instructors from the ISF Academy on first response when facing an imminent threat. Although there are currently no female instructors in the Lebanese ISF Academy, the project seeks to promote the appointment of female instructors in the current recruitment process.
In conclusion, the project will promote gender-sensitive police practices throughout the implementation of its activities. Highly experienced police trainers will set an example and motivate the participation of Lebanese female officers in project activities.
The project aims to fulfil its promise to apply a gender perspective and promote gender-sensitive police policies, contributing to respect for the principle of equality between women and men.
