By RFIPalled on 04-09-2019Modified on 04-09-2019 at 06:38

Few, not very visible, they face persistent barriers. In Dakar, Senegal, a regional conference brings together, since Tuesday 3 and until Friday 6 September, police and gendarmerie women from West Africa: Senegal, Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali, with the support of US State Department. Objective: to feminize the defense and security forces.

It imposes Mame Rokhaya Lo, from the height of its 1.87 m, 36 years, captain in the Senegalese gendarmerie, first female pilot of his country. " The problem we have is perhaps cultural. People are not used to seeing women in uniform, so this may create barriers with the family for women to join the defense and security forces in large numbers. We are really fighting to reach at least 10% of women up to 20%. "

We are far from it according to Adjaratou Wakha Aïdara Ndiaye, director of the NGO Partners West Africa Senegal. " The African states are at maximum 5%, especially in the Sahel zone, where currently there are many conflicts. The more women in law enforcement, the more people, the more secure people. "

And, to feminize the police, it is also the eyes of male colleagues that must change, according to Adiza Adamou, police commissioner in Niger: " Especially at the level of operational units, the maintenance of order. They tell us " women, you can not go to the field, you can not go to the front " because, because, because ... They look at us as their daughters, their wives. But here, it is between "sisters", according to her that are found the participants, and especially between professionals.

→ Read also: Flintlock: towards a bigger place for women in the army in Burkina?

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