Proudly flying the Fiji flag
Women’s impact in the Fiji Police Force
THE Fiji Police Force wishes all women and women officers a Happy International Women’s Day. Since the first batch of women joined the Fiji Police Fore in the 1970s, women officers have continued to set bench marks that are an inspiration to past and current serving members, and young girls and women aspiring for a career in law enforcement.
Women officers have flown the Fiji and Fiji Police Force flag proudly at the national, regional and international levels, holding senior positions and creating history for the organisation.
At present there are five women officers holding senior director roles, namely the director Criminal Investigations Department – Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Loraini Seru, director forensic sciences services – SSP Margaret Marshall, director training and education – SSP Aseri Nakibo, director community policing – SSP Salanieta Radaniva, Force accountant Manaini Mills, leading men and women under their command in their respective units.
We pay tribute to all women officers past and present for their contribution to policing.
It is often said that when you make policing better for women, you make policing better, and that is true in the sense of policing in Fiji. Throughout the five policing divisions, women are dutifully carrying out their policing roles with distinction.
Their commitment to policing is awe inspiring noting their ability to combine a career and the added responsibility of their families. The recent recruitment also saw one of the largest intake of women recruits.
A total of 105 women are currently undergoing the Batch 67 recruits training and we wish them well. This year also marks an important chapter in the Fiji Police Force’s achievement of continuous contribution of 35 years of UN Peacekeeping, and the month of March is declared by the United Nations as Women’s History Month and March 8, 2024 as International Women’s Day.
Fijian Women Police officers have also served in various capacities as IPO’s, trainers, technical advisers, regional commanders, teams leaders, deputy Police Commissioners, Police Commissioners and many more.
Fijian police women officers have served with pride and honour in United Nations Missions despite the domination of male contingent members. Three women officers deployed in 1992 to Cambodia make up the total of 1612 police officers sent for peacekeeping missions with 136 being women officers.
To date 100 women officers have served in various United Nations peacekeeping missions and 36 in other regional peacekeeping missions.
This represents only 8.4 per cent in the overall deployments to missions, however the achievements by women officers exceeded the expectations for small number who had served.
Though the United Nations requirement is of 25 per cent deployment of females to UN missions, Fiji police has surpassed it and has deployed 38.5 per cent as of now in UN Missions.
We salute all women officers for their unwavering dedication to their oath of service, and the adage, a male dominated organisation, we can safely say no longer applies to the Fiji Police Force.
While we celebrate the achievements of our women, let us work together to create safe communities for young girls and women.
The Force through the support of our fellow law enforcement partners, share the commitment of creating an environment in which women and young girls can feel safe and secure.