KABUL - A training manual developed by United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) aimed at teaching police how to handle cases of violence against women has been incorporated into training at the Afghan Police Academy. The training on the manual was rolled out in November 2011 at the National Police Academy.

The project began in 2009 at the request of the Ministry of Interior and the National Police Academy. The aim is to instruct police cadets and frontline police to respond to cases of violence against women. To develop the curriculum the UNFPA worked closely with partnering organizations, including the European Police and ISAF, state partners, the Ministry of Interiors and senior teaching personnel from the National Police Academy.

Two years later, in May 2011, the Ministry of Interior approved the content which is called ‘Police Taking Action on Violence Against Women in Afghanistan’.

“The manual provides comprehensive training material for police officers and comprises of six chapters: focusing on concepts and definitions of violence against women, situation analysis, legislative, human rights and religious provisions and ethical and technical matters imperative to dealing cases of violence against women,” said Dr. Nigina Abaszadeh, Gender Specialist at UNFPA and the author of the manual. “What we delivered to the trainers is now practically applied through the course material and trainers disseminate the knowledge on a sustainable basis.”

UNFPA conducted a round of training for police in Bamyan in November 2011. In 2012 new trainings aimed at building the capacity of female police officers will occur in four provinces: Daikundi, Nangarhar, Bamiyan and Kabul.
“We are pleased to see that trainings on ethics, specific techniques and procedures while dealing with cases of violence against women have been successfully conducted in Kabul. Strengthening the capacity of police in provinces is now a priority for the National Police Academy of Afghanistan and the UNFPA,” said Dr. Laurent Zessler, the UNFPA Afghanistan Representative.

By UNAMA/Kabul