Afghan Border Police Zone 301 hosts women's police integration conference

By Capt. Matthew Kukta, 3rd Cavalry Regiment PAOJanuary 20, 2015

Afghan Border Police Zone 301 hosts women's police integration conference
1 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Afghan Border Police Zone 301 hosts women's police integration conference
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Afghan Border Police Zone 301 hosts women's police integration conference
3 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Staff Sgt. Ashley Pena shakes hands with A female Afghan Uniformed Police officer. Pena is the gender affairs lead for the U.S. Police Advisory Team in Nangahar Province. (U.S. Army photo taken by Capt. Matthew Kukta, Police Advisory Team Public Affa... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

NANGARHAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan (Jan. 18, 2015) -- Afghan Border Police Zone 301 hosted a women's conference Jan. 13, 2015, to discuss the integration of women into the Afghan National Police.

Lt. Gen. Ayar, ABP Zone 301 commander, hosted the women's conference, which included participation from the Kunar province chief of police, Brig. Gen. Habib, the Nangarhar province regional training center commander, Col. Nuristani, various female police officers from Nangarhar, Kunar, Nuristan and Laghman provinces, and women interested in joining the Afghan National Police forces. Members of the Train Advise Assist Command - East Police Advisory Team were also on hand to support the event.

The women's conference discussed the importance of female integration and equality within the Afghan National Police, women's right to work according to Islamic Law, current police facilities and workshops available to support the training of women, and Afghan National Police female recruitment goals. The Afghan Ministry of Interior has directed the ANP to employ 6,000 females by the end of fiscal year 2015, employ 10,000 females by the end of 2016 and have women make up 10 percent of the workforce by the end of 2017.

At the event, Ayar helped explain some of the necessity for a robust female police force, "Due to Islamic Law, we must have police women search females, arrest females and collect intelligence."

The planning and coordination on behalf of the ABP ensured the first of many successful police women's forums.

Staff Sgt. Ashley Pena, the gender affairs lead for the Police Advisory Team, also assisted the ABP in planning the event. "This was a great opportunity for police women and prospective recruits to come together, understand the importance of their service and the initiatives of their government and leadership."

More than 100 Afghan police attended the conference, to include 35 women. The next women's conference is scheduled for March 2015.