Wednesday, October 29, 2008 Free Headline Alerts
GAZA CITY — The Hamas regime's recruitment campaign to increase the female presence in the police has been an uphill battle. The Interior Ministry has employed 53 women in the 11,000-member police force in the Gaza Strip. Officials acknowledged that a recruitment campaign in early 2008 did not lead to a significant increase in women police officers.
"Women have a limited role and the work is very hard," an official said. The women officers have been largely restricted to administrative duties. An exception is Lt. Mariam Al Bursh, a 27-year-old member of the narcotics squad. Women officers, who must wear robes and headdress, have been prevented from carrying firearms. They cannot interrogate or arrest men without a male officer. Officials said training of women has been inadequate. They cited the lack of female instructors.