November 14, 2023
JAKARTA – Indonesian policewoman First Police Brig. Renita Rismayanti has been named the 2023 Woman Police Officer of the Year, the United Nations announced on Monday.
At 27 years old, Renita is the youngest recipient of the award, which she will receive on Thursday at the UN headquarters, during the annual United Nations Police Week, held from Monday to Friday.
“I hope the visibility that comes from winning this award will reinforce among women and girls that all fields of expertise in policing are open to us,” Renita said in a UN media statement.
Renita serves as a Crime Database Officer with the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA).
She has helped conceptualize and develop a criminal database that enables UN Police to map and analyze crime and disorder hotspots which, in turn, helps the country’s security forces to better plan their operations in support of the local population.
Starting her career in the Indonesian National Police as a public information officer in 2014, Renita has since worked in the training, administration and logistics departments.
Jean-Pierre Lacroix, under-secretary-general for peace operations, said Renita’s innovation and efforts had significantly improved safety, especially for women and girls. He added that she would be a good role model to show women’s participation and leadership in peacekeeping.
Faisal Shahkar, a UN police adviser and director of the Police Division, said Renita had contributed to the long male-dominated technology sector.
“She and her colleagues are helping to build trust and confidence between local authorities and communities, which makes the work of the United Nations Police more effective and people safer,” Shahkar said in the statement.
The award was established in 2011 to appreciate the contribution of women officers in UN peace operations and to promote women’s empowerment.
The National Police deploy the Garuda Bhayangkara task force as a force protection unit (FPU) under MINUSCA consisting of 116 male officers and 24 female officers in Bangui.
Meanwhile, the Indonesian Military (TNI) deploys the Garuda Contingent (Konga) XXXVII military engineering company, consisting of 215 personnel, also in Bangui.