Sierra Leonean Peacekeeper Wins UN Woman Police Officer of the Year Award

UN Woman Police Officer of the Year

• 🏆 Superintendent Zainab Gbla from Sierra Leone has been honored with the 2024 UN Woman Police Officer of the Year award.
• 🌟 Her recognition stems from innovative community engagement initiatives that fostered stronger ties between host communities and the UNISFA.

Community Initiatives in Abyei

• 💡 In an area lacking schools upon her arrival, Gbla initiated an educational program, providing materials and visual aids for disadvantaged children.
• 👧 She also established a mentorship program for girls.
• 💰 Projects supporting crop cultivation and livestock sales were launched to provide women with sustainable income sources.

Personal Motivation and Experience

• 🌍 Gbla's own experiences of displacement in Sierra Leone and as a refugee in Guinea during her teenage years motivated her to join the police service.
• 💖 Her work aims to empower women affected by conflict, drawing from her personal history.

Role in UNISFA

• 👮 Currently serving as UNISFA’s Chief Police Training Officer, she was deployed as a Gender Officer.
• 💬 Her duties included engaging women on issues of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) and Conflict-Related Sexual Violence (CRSV).
• 🏫 A significant achievement was seeing children attend school in Abyei town, a stark contrast to their initial aimless wandering.