Greater efforts needed to foster women’s inclusivity in GPF – Retired Superintendent

As stakeholders continue to advocate and fight for equity in the local workforce – particularly in male dominated sectors, a call to action was made for authorities in the Guyana Police Force (GPF) to implement systems that will make the organisation more inclusive for women.
The fifth annual Women and Girls Summit was held last Thursday at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC). Hosted by the Women’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the summit served as a platform for advocacy and action, calling on Government and society to continue pushing for policies that uplift women and girls. The theme for this year’s event was “Dismantling Biases through Leadership & Mentorship.”

Featured on the panel was Superintendent, (Ret’d) Cristal Robinson who has over 36 years of service in the Police Force under her belt. She was questioned about what she would change to encourage young women to advance themselves in the joint services.
Reflecting on her more than 3 decades of service, Robinson revealed that she would change the culture of the force in an effort to promote more diversity within the organisation.
“I’d change the culture of the force because every workplace has different cultures. And remember, persons come from various environments. Now we have to look at the environment you come from. We have to reintegrate you into the force. And when we integrate you now into the force, we have to look there now to inspire you. Because through the years, in 36 years, you have diversity, but it’s not enough.”
In fact, the former cop recalled seeing many women leave the Force, after obtaining a certain rank.
“I would see Indians would join the force and to the rank of sergeant, they’re out. So, I thought something was wrong and I happened to work with an officer, an Indian officer in my field when I was a community relation officer. I said, why is it that when you come into the force, you don’t stay? She said, it’s not many of us and we’re not comfortable so you have to make the force more inclusive.”
She added, “Because if you don’t have a background to retain them, they will go. Because what they’re looking for, they’re not seeing within the force. So that is it. You have to change the culture, get persons to understand, study their culture, go into the community and see what we could take away from there and have them to stay.”
Moreover, the GPF has said it is actively working to enhance gender equality and women’s leadership, with initiatives including targeted recruitment and retention, specialised training, and leadership development.