A renewed campaign to recruit more women into Liberia National Police (LNP) is currently in full swing, this time targeting women in Liberia’s rural communities. Ministry of Gender and Development, UN Women, UNDP, LNP, and UN Police are partners involved in the exercise.

Previous female recruitment campaign activities were mainly conducted in Monrovia, Montserrado County, with a target of 20 per cent female representation in the LNP. Up to date 17.4 per cent of that target has been reached. However, many of those recruited, settled down in Monrovia with their family, are not inclined to take assignments in leeward communities where social services are limited. Therefore, UNPOL and LNP are teaming up to recruit female officers from rural areas and to deploy them back in their original communities.

The under-representation of women in Liberia’s security sector has been recognized as a serious challenge to peace and security in the country as it impedes progress toward gender equality, violates women’s right to participation and representation and prevents the security sector from being truly representative. Not too many females hold senior ranks in the current LNP establishment.

“Retention of police officers in leeward communities serves to empower female police personnel by assigning them more responsibilities that boost their esteem within their communities,” says a report by UNPOL. The new recruitment campaign began in January 2013 with no planned end but an evaluation based on “perceived impact” is expected by the end of the year.

Conceived as a long term process, the decentralization of LNP recruitment process is meant to be sustainable and locally owned. Ministry of Gender and Development, with its resources and staff members already deployed in rural areas, is a key partner in the campaign to attract more women into LNP, especially rural women. Media and community outreach, distribution of leaflets and application forms, are all part of the campaign.

As a way of helping Liberia strengthen its justice and security sector, UNMIL through its Quick Impact Project has refurbished and constructed several police depots and magisterial courts across Liberia. UNPOL is currently increasing its personnel strength, with particular emphasis on experts in training, so as to assist with the development of Liberia National Police into a fully professional and well-trained law enforcement agency.