Africa-Press – Gambia. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in collaboration with the Office of National Security (ONS), has launched a three-day training program aimed at promoting gender equality across Gambia’s security sector. The initiative specifically targets male officers, recognizing their crucial role in fostering gender-responsive reforms.
At the opening ceremony, Mandisa Mashologu, UNDP Resident Representative, praised recent progress in the country’s security sector reform, noting strides toward a more transparent, people-centered, and rights-based security system. She acknowledged, however, that significant gaps remain, including the underrepresentation of women in senior leadership roles and inconsistent accountability for gender-based violence within security institutions.
Mashologu emphasized the need for the sector to reflect the demographics of the population it serves. Addressing the gaps, she said, requires deliberate and complementary strategies, including engaging men as advocates and agents of change to drive meaningful and sustainable progress toward gender equality.
“This training marks an important milestone in our collective efforts to build a professional, accountable, and gender-responsive security sector, one that protects all citizens and upholds the principles of human rights, equality, and justice,” she said.
She described the training as a key step in building a professional, accountable, and gender-responsive security sector—one that protects all citizens and upholds human rights, equality, and justice.
Saika Marong, Principal Gender Officer at the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Welfare, described the training as both timely and strategic. He said it demonstrates a shared commitment to building an inclusive, professional, and gender-responsive security sector where all Gambians are equally valued and protected.
“As the national institution responsible for gender equality, women’s empowerment, child protection, and social inclusion has consistently worked to integrate gender considerations across all sectors,” he said.
Colonel Omar Bojang, Deputy National Security Advisor, underscored the importance of training male gender champions, noting that they play an essential role in transforming institutional culture, strengthening collaboration, and ensuring gender equality is integrated into security coordination and decision-making processes nationwide. He reaffirmed the ONS’s commitment to advancing gender mainstreaming and safeguarding women personnel across all security institutions.
He added, “This training is not taking place in isolation; it is part of our broader national efforts to reform the security sector and to advance an inclusive civilian control and human-centered approach to security that upholds the rule of law, respect for human rights, and reflects the aspiration of the Gambian people for peace, justice, and inclusive development.”
The training aims to equip selected male officers with the knowledge and skills needed to support women’s participation in leadership roles and ensure gender considerations are embedded in decision-making at all levels.
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