This project profile page contains information about The Republic of Senegal National Police project including project results, impact, and effective practices. This page will be updated annually in line with EIF project reporting requirements.
| T/PCC | Updates | |||||||||
| 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||||||
| Total | % | Total | % | Total | % | Total | % | Total | % | |
| Senegal | 136 | 6.38% | 194 | 9.16% | 217 | 9.18% | 227 | 11.17% | 205 | 16.15% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Experts on Mission | 0 | / | 0 | / | 1 | 20.00% | 1 | 50.00% | 1 | 100.00% |
| Formed Police Units | 76 | 7.52% | 134 | 13.10% | 145 | 12.30% | 171 | 15.20% | 172 | 17.20% |
| Individual Police | 14 | 19.18% | 24 | 30.00% | 23 | 37.70% | 20 | 32.79% | 20 | 30.77% |
| Staff Officer | 2 | 6.67% | 2 | 6.45% | 3 | 9.38% | 2 | 5.88% | 2 | 8.33% |
| Troops | 44 | 4.33% | 34 | 3.47% | 45 | 4.14% | 33 | 4.07% | 10 | 5.59% |
The Republic of Senegal has played a prominent role in United Nations peace operations, beginning with its participation in the United Nations Operation in the Congo (ONUC) in 1960. Since then, Senegal has contributed to more than twenty UN peace operations in different conflict settings and is recognized as one of Africa’s main contributors to global peacekeeping. Senegal is also a significant contributor of police personnel. The Senegalese National Police have deployed both Individual Police Officers (IPOs) and Formed Police Units (FPUs) to UN missions, including those in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), Mali (MINUSMA), and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO).
In parallel with its international deployments, Senegal has carried out domestic reforms to strengthen its security institutions. Women have been part of the Senegal National Police since 1981, following legal reforms that enabled their recruitment. Since then, they have joined all corps and ranks, including senior leadership. Between 2012 and 2014, the National Police appointed its first female Inspector General, who also served as Director of the National Police. Over four decades, uniformed women have contributed significantly to the institution, with representation in both operational and strategic roles.
The Senegal Police Project aims to address the obstacles hindering women’s meaningful participation in United Nations peace operations. In 2021, the Senegal National Police conducted the Measuring Opportunities for Women in Peace Operations (MOWIP) assessment to evaluate the barriers to women’s participation in UN peace operations. The assessment revealed several challenges, notably household constraints, as institutional policies for balancing work and personal life were found to be insufficient. Entrenched gender norms also persisted during deployment, with women often taking on additional roles traditionally assigned to them in Senegalese society, including community engagement, mentoring, and cooking.
The project seeks to increase the pool of trained uniformed women eligible for deployment to UN peace operations through roster creation and targeted training initiatives to prepare for both national examinations to advance their career within the police service and deploy to UN peace operations. The project also involves the deployment of gender-strong units to UN peace operations – which are formed police units with a significant representation of women at all levels, including senior leadership and technical roles. Additionally, it strives to dismantle structural barriers by conducting a gender audit, developing a dedicated gender policy, and contributing to the creation of a gender division within the police service.
EIF OUTCOME 2
GSU DEPLOYMENT AND MEANINGFUL PARTICIPATION
GSU
to MINUSMA
1 GSU deployed to MONUSCO in 2023–2024 with 23
per cent women’s representation at all levels. With
EIF support, all 32 women were trained and mentored
prior to deployment to ensure their full integration
into the unit
EIF OUTCOME 3
POLICY DEVELOPMENT
pre-validation
workshop
1 pre-validation workshop held to present the gender
policy and strategic action plan
EIF OUTCOME 3
ROSTER CREATION AND ELIGIBLE POOL
women trained
for deployment
A roster of 320 women trained and eligible for
deployment since the beginning of the project
women deployed
53 women from the FPU roster deployed to United
Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization
Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA)
and MONUSCO in 2024
women IPOs
deployed
from
the roster of
20 women
3 women from the IPO 20-women roster who passed
EIF-supported AMS-SAAT examinations in 2022 were
deployed as IPOs in 2024
women trained
75 women trained on driving, firearms, policing,
operational planning, SEA ⁄SH, and gender issues in
the context of peacekeeping prior to deploying as part
of an FPU
EIF OUTCOME 3
PROMOTION WITHIN THE POLICE SERVICE
sensitisation
workshop
1 sensitisation workshop conducted on the concept of “HeForShe” and engaging men for gender equality, with 60 men and 90 women participating
EIF OUTCOME 2
GSU DEPLOYMENT AND MEANINGFUL PARTICIPATION
GSU
to MINUSMA
One GSU deployed to MINUSMA in 2022-2023 with 18 per cent women’s representation at all levels. All 25 women were trained prior to deployment with EIF support, to ensure their full integration into the unit
GSU
to MONUSCO
One GSU deployed to MONUSCO in 2023 with 23 per cent women’s representation at all levels. With EIF support, all 32 women were trained and mentored prior to deployment to ensure their full integration into the unit
EIF OUTCOME 3
POLICY DEVELOPMENT
gender
policy workshop
1 workshop to (i) revise policies to be gender sensitive and (ii) define the strategic objectives for the Gender Policy
EIF OUTCOME 3
ROSTER CREATION AND ELIGIBLE POOL
women trained
for deployment
A roster of 245 women IPOs trained and eligible for deployment since the beginning of the project
women deployed
98 women from the FPU roster deployed to MINUSMA, MINUSCA and MONUSCO in 2023
women IPOs
deployed
from
the roster of
20 women
14 women from the IPO roster who passed AMSSAAT examinations in 2022 with EIF support were deployed to UN Peacekeeping Operations as IPO in 2023
women trained
on gender issues
75 women trained in 2023 on gender issues prior to deploying with an FPU
EIF OUTCOME 3
PROMOTION WITHIN THE POLICE SERVICE
%
examination
success rate
50 women trained in 2023 to prepare for professional examinations to advance their careers to join the national police officer training school. 30 women passed the examinations – a 60 per cent success rate
EIF OUTCOME 3
RECRUITMENT
women trained
for police service
100 women trained for police service specialist exams as drivers, cooks, assistant nurses, auto mechanics and IT
EIF OUTCOME 2
GSU DEPLOYMENT AND MEANINGFUL PARTICIPATION
% women’s
representation
at all levels
women
trained
prior to deployment with EIF support, to ensure their full integration into the unit
EIF OUTCOME 3
POLICY DEVELOPMENT
Gender Audit developed
–which serves as the basis to develop a Gender Policy in 2023
EIF OUTCOME 3
CAPACITY-BUILDING ON GENDER FOR SECURITY INSTITUTION PERSONNEL
advocacy workshop
An advocacy workshop was held with 35 senior leadership personnel (10 women and 25 men) on how to advance women’s participation within the police and United Nations peacekeeping. As a direct outcome of this meeting, the head of the national police signed a commitment letter with concrete recommendations to advance women’s participation in the police
EIF OUTCOME 3
ROSTER CREATION AND ELIGIBLE POOL
women trained
and eligible for deployment: 150 as members of an FPU and 52 women as IPOs
women
from the roster selected to deploy to MINUSCA and MONUSCO in 2022 / 2023
women IPO
attended pre–AMS–SAAT training through EIF support. 36 women were selected to take the test and 20 passed, which represents a 55.5% success rate
% success rate
among women who took the AMS–SAAT test
EIF OUTCOME 3
PROMOTION WITHIN THE POLICE SERVICE
women appointed
as heads of police stations in Dakar (out of 21 police stations) following key recommendations from the gender audit
women trained
in preparing for professional examinations to advance their career in the police service. 19 of these women (eight officers and 11 non–commissioned officers) passed the examinations–which represent a
% success rate
EIF OUTCOME 3
EXTERNAL SENSITIZATION AND AWARENESS-RAISING
Sensitization campaigns
(three TV sessions, one radio program, one film)61 conducted with specific messaging to encourage women to join the police
sensitization sessions
with over 550 people including youths and community members to address gender stereotypes and encourage women to join the police service
EIF OUTCOME 3
RECRUITMENT
women trained
in preparing for entry–level examinations to join the police service
% Increase
in the number
of women
who applied to join the police from 16 per cent in 2019 to 24 per cent in 2022
EIF Outcomes 2 and 3
US$1,766,688
US$880,388
Senegal National Police
Senegal National Police
Senegal National Police
FPF – 25 months; GSU – 36 months
23 December 2020
23 July 2021
30 September 2025
50 months
The project aims to strengthen gender equality within Senegal’s police force by increasing the recruitment, retention, and deployment of women to United Nations peace operations. It addresses both structural and capacity-related barriers through the development of gender-sensitive policies and targeted training initiatives for women to advance their career within the police service and prepare for FPU and IPO deployments. Key components include the development of a gender audit and adoption of a gender policy, and the establishment of a gender division. Together, these efforts promote long-term institutional transformation and significantly enhance the representation and leadership of women in peacekeeping roles.
