mentoring and advising. AMISOM Mentors based in Mogadishu, Kismayo, Baidoa, and Belet Weyne co-locate with their SPF counterparts daily to assist individual SPF officers with practical information and skills to enhance compliance to internationally accepted standards of policing.
AMISOM and SPF trainers have conducted a number of trainings (some are on-going) for the SPF during the period under review. They include: l Baidoa Phase 2 Basic Recruits Course for 200 recruits l Cadet Officers Course for 88 cadets
l Human Rights Training for 25 SPF Officers l Basic Recruits Course in Kismayo The Training Unit is in the process of developing training and guidance material for the SPF on the role of police in the electoral process.
Transforming The Lives Of Somali Women
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MISOM Police has gender at its core, consistent with the African Union Gender Policy and the AMISOM Gender Mainstreaming Strategy. The Gender Unit in collaboration with the Reforms, Restructuring & Development unit, Public Information Office and the Training Sections of the AMISOM Police collaborate in capacity building of the Somali Police Force (SPF) in order to enhance their awareness of, adherence to and compliance with principles of Human Rights, Gender, Juvenile Justice and protection of vulnerable persons. Violence against women and girls is one of the most prevalent human rights violations in Somalia, although it is masked in a spiral of silence. AMISOM Police Gender Unit has partnered with the SPF in training 120 SPF police officers drawn from Baidoa, Belet Wayne and Mogadishu on Sexual
AMISOM Police Gender Officer ASP Lydia Otu-Nyarko shares her experiences with her counterparts from SPF.
and Gender Based Violence (SGBV), and Child Protection. AMISOM also undertakes in-mission induction courses for all AMISOM Police officers in order to integrate a gender perspective in their work. AMISOM is working with the SPF and other partners to improve the capacity and skills of the SPF in prevention of and response to SGBV in accordance with Somalia’s Provisional Constitution and International Human Rights Laws. The Somali Police
From The SPF Gender Desk
SPF Gender Officer Lieutenant Idil Hassan at her desk.
Force, the CID Headquarters, Abdul Aziz, Baidoa and Belet Wayne Police Stations have functional Gender Desks equipped with two office tables, two office cabinets, two office chairs, one HP laptop computer, one HP desktop computer, one HP portable photocopier, one Canon digital still camera, two external hard drives, five rims of A4 sheets, and eleven office files. Personnel who have been trained by AMISOM Police man the Gender Desks.
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Police Service that is gender conscious and responsive increases the credibility, trust and legitimacy of the Police Force in the eyes of the public. Gender mainstreaming is one of the key pillars of reforms in the Somali Police Force. Through the support of AMISOM Police and other partners, the Gender Department of the SPF was officially launched on 19th December 2015. The department is committed to ensuring that gender perspectives are incorporated in all aspects of policing. The department also encourages and advocates for enlistment of women in the SPF. Women often bring specific skills and strengths to police work, such as the ability to diffuse potentially violent situations and imploy good communication skills to minimize the use of force. With this new department, the Somali Police Force will seek to increase the recruitment of female staff, so as to prevent violation of rights of women. It will promote collaborative efforts with women organizations in order to create an efficient and accountable Police Force, which responds to specific needs of the diverse population. AMISOM MAGAZINE
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