KABUL (SW): In its latest quarterly report, the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, or SIGAR, has noted decrease of 297 women personnel since last quarter serving in the Afghan National Security and Defence Forces (ANSDF).
It has noted that according to the RS Gender Advisor Office, as of March 3, 2018, there were 4,335 women serving in the ANDSF, a decrease of 297 personnel since last quarter. Of the total female personnel in the ANDSF, 3,040 were in the Afghan National Police (ANP) 1,295 were in the Afghan National Army (ANA) 72 were in the Afghan Special Servcies Forces (ASSF) and 98 were in the Afghan Air Force (AAF).
Of the women in the ANP, ANA, ASSF, and AAF, there were 1,504 officers, 1,551 non-commissioned officers, 1,305 enlisted personnel, and 145 cadets. The number of women in each force element fell, with the largest decrease in the ANA, which lost 110 personnel since December 2017. The ANP also lost 180 policewomen since September 2017, which is primarily attributed to the transfer of the Afghan Border Police (ABP) from MOI to MOD control. Under current proposals, the number of female-only positions in the ANA is set to increase by 1,600 annually for the next four years.
SIGAR has noted that nearly every course taught within the ANA is gender integrated, but maximum participation of females is hampered by the dearth of positions designated for women within the respective career fields for which training is provided. This is being addressed through a working group that is optimizing the ‘tashkil’.
Female ANP police officers currently attend training abroad at the Sivas Police Training Academy in Sivas, Turkey. The most recent training cohort of 187 women graduated in March 2018.
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