Photo By Sgt. Amanda White | Mirvat Amin receives instruction on firing a Glock 9mm pistol during weapons training...... read more read more
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By Spc. Amanda Morrissey
5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
KIRKUK, Iraq – The first women to train at Kirkuk Police Academy were among the 980 police officers and non-commissioned officers (NCOs) to graduate from the academy, May 27.
Nisreen Hama Amin and Mirvat Amin, no relation, have joined their male counterparts in donning the blue uniform of the Iraqi police force to answer what they see as the patriotic call to duty.
"I want to help the people and do something good for my country," Nisreen said. "I saw female police officers in Irbil and other places, and decided that this was the way to do it."
Nisreen, who graduated from the basic police course, is new to the field of police work while Mirvat, a graduate of the NCO course, has nearly three years of experience working with the Iraqi police.
Although female police officers may still be uncommon in Iraq, they provide a vital function within the police force in their dealings with civilian women.
"The Iraqi police need female officers to be fully effective," said Staff Sgt. Amaury Garcia, an advisor with the Police Transition Team from Forward Operating Base Warrior.
"Due to their beliefs, the men are reluctant to fully search women detainees," explained Garcia, who works closely with the academy's leadership. "That's where female police officers step in. After recent bombings by women suicide bombers, the Iraqi police realize the importance of having female officers on the force."
Nisreen will work in the jails, searching women who come to visit family members and guarding female inmates. Mirvat also assists her male counterparts in their interactions with women they come into contact with during the line of duty, as well as performing secretarial duties at the police headquarters.
Nisreen and Mirvat trained separately from their male counterparts, going to the shooting range and attending classes geared specifically towards them. However, the circumstance of their training has not made them feel isolated from the other officers in their graduating class.
"These are our brothers, all of them," Mirvat said. "They have been supportive of us and accepted us. We felt like we were a part of a family.
"Our instructors are capable and qualified, and have my deepest appreciation," Mirvat added. "They spent so much energy to educate and train us, and we would not have been able to graduate without them."
Their families have also been important in Mirvat's and Nisreen's success. While worried about the dangers the women will face in the line of duty, their families have supported their commitment to become police officers, Mirvat said.
Sunday's graduation, while a significant success, does not mark the end of their career aspirations. Nisreen would like to attend the NCO course at the academy, while Mirvat would like to work her way through the ranks and someday be a lieutenant.
They are also aware of the example they are setting for other women and girls in their city.
"We would like our country to reach the same level of acceptance that other countries have already achieved," Mirvat said. "I hope our example will make communities more open and allow women to become more involved in society."
| Date Taken: | 06.04.2007 |
| Date Posted: | 06.04.2007 09:07 |
| Story ID: | 10640 |
| Location: | KIRKUK, IQ |
| Web Views: | 490 |
| Downloads: | 473 |
This work, A New Way Ahead: The First Women Graduate from Kirkuk Police Academy, by SGT Amanda White, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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