BOR – For Police Officer Ayen Deng Mach, embarking on a path that had long been dominated by men has always, not just been a privilege, but a duty.
The decision she made twelve years ago to join the police service was inspired by her own mother:
“Growing up, I saw how difficult it was for her to do things that we are usually told can only be done by men. Back then, the only option was basically to become a housewife and mother.”
In recent years, changes in this mentality have not only become visible but measurable.
Since the establishment of the County Police Force in Jonglei in 2005, the percentage of women in the ranks has risen from 9% to 31%.
While this hasn’t reached the official 35% target, it shows quantifiable impact.
It’s not just about participation. On the less visible side, education has also significantly improved amongst female officers, enabling them to join security services and take on roles they were previously excluded from.
“Even once positions like these became available to us, our culture still prevented us from speaking up and investigating crimes in the same way as our male colleagues do,” recalls Mach.
This made it challenging to provide much-needed support to their communities, particularly to women who are often ashamed and face tangible risks sharing experiences of violations with male police officers.
According to her, one impactful factor in changing the mentality has been the trainings hosted for female officers by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
“When we first started our work, we didn’t have much knowledge about how to investigate cases or what being a police officer truly entails since there were not many role models or specific education opportunities,” shares the mother of four.
After participating in skill trainings ranging from specific approaches to cattle raids and abductions to general gender-related investigations, she not only gained confidence, but also additional professional opportunities, including a promotion.
“Examples like Mach inspire us to keep going. We are often able to see how female participants gain more confidence but the structural changes of seeing their male supervisors promoting them based on their new skills are just as important,” says UNMISS Justice Advisor Joy Kawira Kaaria.
Having started in a local protection unit, Mach’s current position at the Jonglei Police Headquarters now outranks that of her husband who works as local County Police Officer. When asked about whether this causes any tensions, she laughs, remembering initial conversations:
“He’s actually very supportive but either way, there wasn’t anything he could’ve done to prevent me from taking this path.”
A spirit that she hopes to pass on to her two daughters as well.
“Our country needs more women stepping into male-dominated domains. Not just for ourselves, but also to inspire others who may not have the same privileges yet.”
By Jaella Brockmann
