I will continue empowering women; Museveni says as he celebrates pioneer female Uganda police officers
President Museveni has said his government will continue its commitment to championing and empowering women at all levels of service and leadership.
Museveni made the statement while acknowledging female pioneer officers of the Uganda Police.
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Today marks 60 years since Uganda Police, the country’s oldest security organ opened its doors to female officers, recruiting the very first of them, Mrs. Pauline Maniraguha Bangirana and later Ms. Rukidi.
The recruitment was one year after the United Nations deployed female peacekeepers for the very first time.
Tweeting on the anniversary, President Museveni saluted the two female officers in Uganda and urged that their stories be used to inspire “nations”.
“Today marks 60 years since women first joined the Uganda Police Force. In particular, I would like to recognize Ms. Pauline Maniraguha Bangirana and Ms. Rukidi, the first of two women to join our Police Force, and the many others who have followed in their footsteps,” Museveni tweeted.
“My commitment is to continue championing and empowering women at all levels of service and leadership and achieve gender parity that is reflective of our population.” He added.
In light of the event, a lengthy documentary film has been prepared by ABOUT FACE headed by their executive producer and Senior Presidential Advisor on regional matters, Judyth Nsababera to follow the stories of women deployed as peacekeepers in some of the world’s most dangerous places.
President Museveni said he looks forward to the documentary because such “stories should be told to inspire nations”.
Speaking about the documentary, Nsababera said she wants to show the world what the United Nations and others identify as one of the most effective, powerful, and ironically underutilized advantages in peacekeeping: the deployment of women.
“I saw first-hand what happens when a woman arrives on the scene in uniform,” says Nsababera. “She has access to every segment of a community: other women, children, and vulnerable populations. I have worked with these women peacekeepers. My mother served in the Ugandan police force for 43 years and her mentor and friend, my “aunt,” Mrs. Pauline Bangirana, was one of the first two women to join the Ugandan police force,” she said.
The film will celebrate those who blazed the trail for other women to join, not only the Ugandan Police Force but also other areas of service.
Uganda has gone on to contribute to global security initiatives through the African Union and United Nations.
“While Uganda is one success story, the United Nations still has work to do to meet its goal of gender parity in peacekeeping operations. In spite of the clear benefits of deploying women as peacekeepers, fewer than 5% of all UN peacekeepers are women” Nsababera said.
The film director Lou Dourous said that Uganda’s success in opening its police forces to women is a reminder that this is an emerging story throughout the world
“’ About Face’ will take our audiences into close proximity to the courageous women who risk their lives every day for the safety of others,” he added.
It should be noted that President Museveni has been at the forefront of women emancipation, opening up education advantage through affirmative action for women and recently being acknowledged for choosing women into higher positions in his cabinet.
