By Rakiya A.Muhammad
For Chief Warrant Officer Alizeta Kabore Kinda of Burkina Faso, who clinched the 2022 United Nations Woman Police Officer of the Year Award, it is about self-trust and loving what you do.
“I hope it will inspire women and girls around the world to pursue policing careers despite the gender stereotypes often associated with the profession: that men are better suited to enforce the laws and protect the population,” Kinda asserts while speaking on the award presented during the third United Nations Chiefs of Police Summit (UNCOPS) at the United Nations Headquarters.
Gender diversification in policing has gained considerable attention as societies recognise the importance of creating inclusive and representative law enforcement institutions.
The United Nations Police (UNPOL) underscores, “a police service that is representative of the population helps restore trust and confidence in the police, especially from women and children.”
CWO Kinda is one of over 2,500 women UN Police (UNPOL) officers serving in nine peacekeeping operations and seven special political missions worldwide.
She is a gender focal point with the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Misson in Mali (MNUSMA).
The award-winning policewoman supports the Malian Security Forces in the Menaka region to promote and improve understanding of gender, child protection, human rights and civil protection issues.
Her efforts prompted more victims of sexual and gender-based violence to report their cases to local authorities and to receive medical care. From zero cases reported before her deployment to the region to three or more per month, a significant development, given that women in the area traditionally are not prone to voicing their feelings.
CWO Kinda also focused on boosting the number of girls in schools and reducing early marriages.
“During my deployment, I observed that women in Mali are not always made to feel independent and empowered… so I made it my personal goal to change this,” she reveals.
“The project that I developed and implemented — to help 50 local women make and sell ecological bags — enabled them to pay for their children’s school fees and medical expenses.”
Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix describes Kinda’s work as a shining example of how the participation of women police in peace operations directly impacts the sustainability of peace by helping to bring different perspectives to the table and making their work more inclusive.
“Through her actions, she embodies a more representative, efficient police service that is better equipped to serve and protect the public,” Lacroix adds.
Similarly. the United Nations Police Adviser Luis Carrilho notes that Chief Warrant Officer Kinda has demonstrated creativity and commitment in addressing the specific security needs of the communities she serves.
Carrilho points out: “She and her team are helping to increase trust between Malian local authorities and communities, which makes the work of the United Nations Police more effective and the people safer.”
Officer Kinda remarks that women in the security forces promote trust in the host communities. She also observes that a victim of gender-based violence would feel more at ease reporting to a woman than a man.
The award recipient expresses delight at having received the prestigious award. “It is a feeling of joy because my work in Menaka has been recognised and valued.”
However, achieving such as feat is also about willpower, tenacity and determination as she goes down memory lane.
“My grandfather used to tell me that a journey of a thousand miles always begins with a first step. So, throughout my career, I walked,” says Kinda. “I was tired, but I did not stop. At times, I was discouraged, but I did not give up.”
According to the UN, about 10,000 United Nations Police are authorised to serve in 16 United Nations peace operations, where they work to enhance international peace and security by supporting host countries in conflict, post-conflict, and other crises.
It adds that women comprise over 19% of currently serving United Nations Police officers,
“Women’s participation in United Nations Police has doubled since 2015. As of today, UNPOL has already achieved the 2025 targets set out in the Department’s Uniformed Gender Parity Strategy for all categories of personnel,” the UN discloses.
“Women police officers make up 31.5% of individually deployed police officers and 14.6% of members of Formed Police Units. Women also lead half of the United Nations Police components in the field, including UN peace operations in Abyei, Cyprus, Kosovo, Mali, South Sudan and Sudan.”
