Captain Ndeye Yacine Faye was one of the first women to join the Sénégal National Gendarmerie and is the first to command its Air Transport Company. In 2025 she passed the Assessment for Mission Service (AMS), a standardised test that determines suitability for deployment to United Nations peacekeeping operations. She shares her journey, challenges, and future aspirations.
What motivated you to join the gendarmerie?
I was part of the first cohort of women to join the gendarmerie in 2006. What drew me in was the uniform, the discipline, and the desire to serve. At the time, I didn’t even know the difference between the police and gendarmerie – I just knew I wanted to be part of it. Since then, I’ve worked my way up through territorial units, administrative roles, officer training, and command positions. Today, I lead a team that ensures the security of Dakar and Thiès airports. My mother encouraged me to apply, and I’m proud to say my sister later joined the police, perhaps inspired by my journey.
What is your experience of being a leader?
As a leader, you have to set an example and be rigorous in your work. Being the first woman in this role has not always been easy, there’s often pressure and a need to prove yourself. In May 2024, I led an investigation into an aircraft accident. I was the only woman on the team and directed the entire operation—the first time a woman had led such an investigation in Sénégal. I’m used to pressure, and I regularly participate in crisis management exercises. The command trusts my work, and they’ve asked me to extend my posting for a further two years.
What are your ambitions?
My ambition is to serve as an Individual Police Officer (IPO) in an international peacekeeping mission. I want to build on the experience I’ve gained since 2006, learn in a diverse environment, and contribute to protecting vulnerable populations. Before sitting the AMS exam, I completed a pre-AMS course, supported by the Elsie Initiative Fund (EIF), specifically conducted for servicewomen to help strengthen their readiness for deployment. It helped me approach the exam with confidence and clarity—especially in areas such as driving and firearms, where mastering control and accuracy is essential. Women often have less access to manual vehicles or firearms during their regular assignments.
What is your advice to aspiring women leaders?
Young women aspiring to take on leadership roles need three things—passion for the job, willpower, and commitment—and the rest will follow. When I joined the officer training school, I was married with a child. It was the first time someone in that situation had been accepted. They questioned whether I could handle it, but I graduated top of my class. Women are capable of anything—what we need are the opportunities to realise our full potential.
In May 2025, the Sénégal National Gendarmerie, with support from the EIF, organised a pre-AMS training course specifically for uniformed women preparing for the AMS exam. This initiative is a cornerstone of Sénégal’s broader strategy to increase the number of women participating in peacekeeping. The training proved highly effective, helping more women, including Captain Faye, qualify for deployment as IPOs — with a record 76-per-cent success rate.
