Police Official Calls for Institutional Reforms to Support Women in Uniform

By Jennifer James

The Director of the Social Protection Unit and Child Affairs, Brig. Gen James Dak Karlo, has called for wide-ranging institutional reforms to better support women serving in uniform across South Sudan.

Speaking on Friday at the closing session of a two-day workshop on policy review and assessment findings, Karlo underscored the importance of recognizing the contributions of women in the security sector.

Among the key proposals was the introduction of a national day to honour women in uniform.

“We are pushing to establish a national day to recognize women in uniform. This initiative will be an all-inclusive day for women serving in all sectors, particularly in the South Sudan,” Karlo said.

Attendees at the workshop called for the establishment of childcare facilities referred to as “kitty gardens” within security institutions, to support female personnel who are also mothers.

“She [the minister] made a strong recommendation that each institution should have a kitty garden for the children of female personnel, whether they are officers or non-officers because they are contributing just as much,” Karlo said while referring to the Minister of Gender, Child and Social Welfare’s endorsement of the proposal.

The workshop also emphasized integrating gender-sensitive policies across all five law enforcement bodies, not just within the South Sudan Police Service.

Karlo emphasized the need to include the South Sudan Prison Service, Civil Defense, Wildlife Service, Regional Security and other security agencies.

In addition to gender reforms, Karlo noted the importance of expanding these efforts to include regions affected by insecurity and violence, including areas impacted by terrorism and small arms conflict.

“We are working to ensure that this message is disseminated across all general and administrative levels, and that it becomes part of classroom training and performance preparation,” he said.

Meanwhile, Yohana Mabor Deng, Director of HIV/AIDS Commission, urged men to play a more active role in supporting gender equality within the forces.

“I want to say that we should all be champions especially men, let’s not leave the responsibility to women alone. When we clap our hearts together with women, the sound will be heard,” Mabor said.

He encouraged male officers to support women in leadership roles, noting the value of unity and mutual learning in professional settings.

“If your leader is a woman and you become the deputy, my brother, you will see you will enjoy a lot,” Mabor said. “Women do not neglect people. We learn from junior officers, and junior officers also learn from senior officers,” Mabor said.

“When you talk today and remain silent for months, people will not hear the message. We need to raise our voices, build competence, and include everyone especially the children we are raising,” he added.