Violence Against Women
A task team was established on Friday to draft a five-year strategy to empower and develop female police officers at all levels in the South African Police Service (SAPS).
This was to enable the women in blue to improve service delivery and reduce incidents of crimes involving vulnerable groups.
A three-day session in Pretoria was attended by female senior management officers in SAPS, under the leadership of national deputy commissioners, Lieutenant General Bonang Mgwenya and Francinah Vuma. Speakers at the sessions addressed issues affecting women in the broader context.
National police commissioner General Khehla Sitole said, in order to reduce gender-based violence, female police officers needed to take a stand to ensure that cases involving vulnerable groups and missing persons received priority attention at police stations.
Senior female officers were told to take the lead in ensuring that women were uplifted, not only in the workplace, but in their communities.
Mgwenya ended the session by vowing to enhance liaison with counterparts in the region and international women policing associations.
"Our five-year plan will link with existing strategic plans and provide solutions to crime challenges, defining the role of women police officials," she said.