There is a noticeable increase in the number of women joining the police training academy as Kuwaiti women are constantly encouraged to participate in all areas of society, according to women Lieutenants at the Support Authority Institute of the Saad Al-Abdullah Academy for Security Sciences.
The Arab Times spoke exclusively with four Lieutenants at the support institute of the academy - Head of the Department of Training Affairs, First Lieutenant Anisa Musfer Abdulla, Lieutenant in the Department of Learning and Examination Affairs, Hadeel Ebrahim Karam, Lieutenant in the Department of Learning, Training and Library Aids, Dalal Mohamed Mosa, and current Police Training Consultant at the academy, Lieutenant Mona Ali Abdul Rahim.

The Lieutenants explained the role of policewomen in Kuwait, the courses taken at the academy and the challenges women face in the police, where only men were allowed to participate in since the establishment of the State of Kuwait.

From left: First Lieutenant Anisa Musfer Abdulla, Lieutenant Hadeel Ebrahim Karam and Lieutenant Dalal Mohammed Mosa.

The first batch of female cadets in Kuwait graduated in March 25, 2009 in an elaborate ceremony attended by His Highness the Amir and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, His Highness the Crown Prince, Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, Vice President of the National Guards Corps, Sheikh Mishaal Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, as well as His Highness the Prime Minister, Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Sabah, among other senior statesmen.
Last year the country has witnessed a landmark parliamentary election as well where four women competed fiercely with their male counterparts and were enthusiastically elected by their districts. According to the Lieutenants, the Kuwaiti police is just another sector an increasing number of women want to prove themselves in, that they are capable and just as good as men in serving in the police force.
Q: When did the training of women for the police force begin?

Lieutenant Mona: The Ministry of Interior of Kuwait has requested the assistance of the Kingdom of Bahrain in training the women for the police force here since Bahrain is the one of the first in the Gulf region to accept women in the police force since the 1970s. So far we have 800 policewomen in Bahrain. Although we started early, at the beginning there wasn’t much acceptance by the community and only a few women joined the first year of training. In Kuwait, however we have witnessed tremendous enthusiasm by women in the police force and people applying to the academy has noticeably increased this year. In Bahrain, we are just starting to train women in patrolling the field and at the current rate women are developing in the police force, they are not far behind this progress.
Lieutenant Dalal: People keep asking why it has taken so long for women to join the police force. They should know that for a long time His Highness the Amir was considering this development; however he was just studying the methods and approach of other Middle Eastern countries and weighing the pros and cons the decision may have on Kuwait. Our cultural and Islamic traditions say that who is supposed to talk to women, hear her problems or touch her is another woman. So any reason why women should not join the police force is not valid or scientific.

The decision for women to join was made in 2001 although they started training us in 2008 after finalizing all the documents and allocating our training facility. Our titles were different from what we have now. We were given the titles such as ‘security supervisor’ and ‘security assistant’, which we were not happy about. Nevertheless, due to the constant support of His Highness the Amir and His Highness the Prime Minister, our titles became exactly like those of male graduates upon graduation. Since then we’ve acquired equal status with men.

Even though all the other policewomen training academies in the Middle East have started earlier than Kuwait, they began slowly and modestly. Even though Kuwait started training women for the police force late, we have developed much quicker, in only a few years.
First Lieutenant Anisa: I’ve been fortunate enough to provide training in Kuwait from institute’s inception in 2008-2009. Our training of policewomen in the Kingdom of Bahrain began in 1970. We brought to Kuwait our experiences and what we are witnessing now is not any different from Bahrain. In 2009, we’ve graduated 27 policewomen - 16 lieutenants, 8 deputy police officers and 3 sergeants. Some of the work as trainers in the academy and a lot work in airport security and the woman’s prison.
Currently, there are approximately 48 women in training who are expected to graduate this year. Policewomen are available in most departments belonging to the Ministry of Interior, such as the criminal investigation unit, airport security, forensics and the immigration and passport departments of the airport. They also participate in any political events, provide personal security and administer the woman’s prison. As like their male counterparts, policewomen are on call 24 hours and are expected to follow orders on the spot.

Q: How would you describe Kuwaiti policewomen?
First Lieutenant Anisa: When we started in Bahrain only a few women were willing to join the police force, however, the women here rushed to register when the program began. The women in Kuwait are really enthusiastic to participate in every field available in their country. We have found them to be strong-willed and determined and they have proved themselves able to handle any situation.
Police officers have to have certain personality and physical traits to be able to handle their job positions. The women we accept at the Academy must pass certain tests provided by the Ministry to determine mental health and physical capabilities. They also must be well reputed in the community and with a clear criminal record. The women trainees take exactly the same courses of self-defense and effective communication male police trainees and they get trained on the same weapons.

Q: What role do policewomen play in Kuwait?
Lieutenant Hadeel: The role of women is necessary in every field of life. The police force needs women because crimes are not only committed by men. In this society, policewomen are needed to handle situations that cannot be handled by men per say. For example, policemen can be put in very difficult situations when handling female criminals who can accuse the male officers of misconduct or mishandling just to remove themselves from suspicion. However, women know how to communicate with other women and are able to handle them therefore it is necessary for them to play a large part in every department of the Ministry of Interior.
Lieutenant Dalal: Being in the police force requires tremendous will power from men and women as well as capability to handle severe pressure. The police force is recognized for its rigidness and its hard-line notion of legality and justice. Policewomen have also introduced a humanitarian sense of justice to the police force by dealing in a more tender way with society’s problems. In certain situations, a kinder approach for a solution by policewomen is more effective than the toughness of policemen. From my perspective, the Ministry of Interior is the leader in catering for the needs of the modern Kuwaiti society, which now has more females than males.

Q: Did you face any opposition from your families or other members of society for joining the police force?
Lieutenant Hadeel: There was some opposition to the idea of the policewoman at first in the Kuwaiti community, however in the end it was a decision made by the His Highness the Amir and no one could have disputed it. After everyone became aware of how valuable and necessary it is to have women in the police force they strongly supported and encouraged us. We are also treated very respectfully by our male counterparts. Kuwait is very open-minded and Kuwaiti women are capable of anything.
I have never faced any opposition from my parents and husband for joining the police force. I am 33 years old and since 1999 I have been working at the Ministry of Interior. When they started training women for the police force, I was one of the first to join. It has to be understood what you do and what your responsibilities are before you get married because it is an official governmental duty. Since I have chosen to be in the police force as well as get married and have children, I have to handle all the responsibilities. Occasionally, I reach home, change out of my attire and five minutes later I receive a phone call ordering me to perform a certain duty. I have to follow my orders and my family understands that.
Lieutenant Dalal: Individuals should be hired based on their talents and capabilities in any field, not based on their gender. Trainees in the police force are chosen based on physical capabilities, communication talents and decision making skills, nothing else. When there was opposition in the beginning, it was only for the reason that this new development is new to Kuwait, not because it dealt with women. They were only pessimistic and thought that the experiment will fail. However, when they saw the reality of the situation they accepted and encouraged it. If you look at the society as a whole you will find a woman in almost every field and one of leaders in that field as well.
I really admired my father, who is a police officer and I used to sit and talk to him about his work. My personality as well is disciplined, organized and I’ve always wanted to serve the public in everyway possible, not just by sitting on a desk and completing documents, but by dealing with the public face to face. During the pervious elections for example, apart from security, I helped the elderly and youngsters with the process, which I really enjoyed.
First Lieutenant Anisa: Being a police officer has not affected my personal life as I have received plenty of encouragement from my family. My husband even answers my calls when I’m at home and informs me that I’m needed. As long as a woman is determined to handle all the responsibilities that come her way in order to do something she loves, she can do it.

Q: What are the necessary requirements in order to join the police force training, the duration of study and the courses available?
Lieutenant Hadeel: The academic year is 6 months divided into two semesters and is comprised of police studies, legal studies and general studies as well as police and athletic practical training. After the trainees graduate they get distributed to various departments where they get additional training as per the requirements of that sector. There are male and female trainers in certain areas. If a trainee feels to shy to be taught police patrolling by a male trainee, for example, a female trainer is provided for her.
Lieutenant Dalal: The general conditions are that the cadet must be Kuwaiti as well as both of her parents; she has to have a pleasant personality and a good reputation with a clear criminal record; she should not have been discharged previously from any governmental or educational institute for any immoral behavior; she has to be in good physical and mental condition which is determined by the deputy minister of interior and deputy minister of health; she should not be younger than 19 years or older than 30 years of age; she should be 155 cm tall or more and finally the cadet should not be married at the time she joins the institute.

Only women who have a university degree can graduate with a diploma in police officer studies and will acquire the position of Lieutenant. Women who have diplomas or certificates after high school can graduate with a diploma in deputy police officer studies and hold the position of deputy police officer. Women with only high school certificates can acquire a diploma in sergeant police officer studies and hold the position of sergeant. It is not necessary for women to wear the headscarf (hijab) when they join, however, as an attempt for uniformity most policewomen prefer to wear the hijab.
The Kuwaiti police force is in constant development. In the future I believe we will be out in the field more often, even His Highness the Prime Minister said that he wanted us to be out patrolling the streets of Kuwait. We supervised girls’ schools last election and a few of us worked on crime scenes and we have a woman who is training to be a forensic scientist. The Minister of Interior is also making sure that we get trained in the field so that our role is not centered only in the administrative and management departments. Due to the humanitarian side of women I believe we will be successful in the field of patrolling.