B*N*S*N4

MOD police officer rewarded for training Afghan police women

A People In Defence news article

15 Jul 10

The first female MOD police officer to train women in the Afghan National Police (ANP) has been awarded two national awards for her outstanding work during her deployment to Afghanistan.

MOD police officer Isabella McManus trains female Afghan police officers to use the Sig Sauer 9mm pistol
[Picture: Corporal Steve Wood, Crown Copyright/MOD 2009]

Sergeant Isabella McManus spent the majority of her six-month deployment in 2009 training female Afghan police officers to work as equals alongside their male counterparts.

On arriving in theatre, Sgt McManus felt she could not stand by and do nothing after seeing how the women lacked training and knowledge of equipment, and dedicated her deployment to developing their skills.

In recognition of her efforts in Afghanistan, Sgt McManus, who is based at Her Majesty's Naval Base Clyde, near Helensburgh, has been given the British Association for Women in Policing (BAWP) Leadership Award and Opportunity Now's Champion Award.

She was also short-listed in the final three for the Forces section of the Daily Record Our Heroes Awards.

Sgt McManus said:

"I am very humbled to have been nominated for these three awards and to have won two of them. But this is not just about me. This recognition is for every woman in Afghanistan who is brave enough to put on a police uniform.

"Every day they put their lives on the line to help build a better Afghanistan for the future."...

Sergeant Isabella McManus
[Picture: Sergeant Rob Knight RLC, Crown Copyright/MOD 2009]

More here.

A related video of Afghan women being trained here. GO watch here...