24th February 2026 — The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in partnership with the Zambia Police Service and with support from the Elsie Initiative Fund, today officially launched a Women’s Accommodation and Daycare Facility at the Geoffrey Mukuma Police Training College in Lusaka, marking a major step in strengthening women’s participation in peace operations.

The facility forms part of a comprehensive institutional reform package aimed at removing structural barriers that limit women’s training, retention and deployment readiness within the Zambia Police Service. By integrating safe accommodation with childcare support at the training stage, the initiative strengthens preparedness and expands the Service’s deployment pipeline.

Speaking during the launch Minister of Home Affairs & Internal Security Hon. Jack Mwiimbu represented by acting Home Affairs and Internal Security Minister, Hon. Brenda Tambatamba said that the construction of the female dormitories and a daycare is a transformative milestone that resonates deeply with strategic priorities of the government. 

The launch builds on recent reforms within the Zambia Police Service, including the introduction of the Anti-Sexual Harassment, Exploitation and Abuse Policy and revised Standing Orders, which reinforce accountability, professional standards and leadership responsibility. These measures are complemented by a structured Mentorship Programme for women officers and a Gender Training Needs Assessment, creating an integrated framework for advancing women’s meaningful participation in peace operations.

Also speaking at the launch Inspector General of Police, Mr. Graphel Musamba represented by Commissioner of Police in charge of Administration Ms Susan Malundu, Mr Musamba said “This daycare facility is transformative. for years, female officers struggled to balance professional duties and childcare, often missing deployment opportunities or being forced to choose between the family and career advancement. this barrier has now been removed.”

Mr Musamba said the facility offers a safe, structured, professionally supervised environment for children, supporting early childhood development, reducing stress for mothers on duty, improving concentration and strengthening retention and career continuity.

The Government of Canada has supported the furnishing of the facility, leadership training for female officers, specialized Sexual and Gender-Based Violence investigative training across nine provinces and the provision of vehicles to enhance operational mobility and rapid response capacity.

Evidence from United Nations peace operations shows that women peacekeepers strengthen mission effectiveness by improving community engagement, increasing reporting of sexual and gender-based violence and building trust in fragile contexts. However, increasing women’s deployment requires more than policy commitments, it requires practical systems that enable participation.

Elsie Initiative Fund Manager Ms. Deborah Warren-Smith said Enabling women to serve, train and deploy strengthens the effectiveness of the service and requires the right conditions to be in place.”

Ms Smith said “Removing that barrier can support the Zambia Police Service to increase the pool of women available for deployment to United Nations peace operations.”

By addressing accommodation and childcare needs during training, the Zambia Police Service is directly responding to structural constraints. The facility strengthens retention, improves morale and enhances deployment readiness, positioning Zambia as a forward-looking contributor to gender-responsive peacekeeping under the Women, Peace and Security agenda.

UNDP Deputy Resident Representative Mr Laurent Rudasingwa said “Earlier this month, we witnessed the launch of the Anti-Sexual Harassment, Exploitation and Abuse Policy and the revised Standing Orders. Those reforms strengthened accountability, professional standards and leadership responsibility within the Service. The launch complements policy reforms with a practical investment that addresses structural barriers affecting women’s training, retention, and deployment readiness.”

Meanwhile, Canadian high commission head of office Ms Corry Van Gaal said the construction of this facility stands as a clear testament to the strong collaboration among partners working to advance women’s participation in peacekeeping operations.

The initiative reflects a broader institutional transformation in which policy reform, accountability systems, leadership pathways and operational tools work together and that UNDP reaffirmed its commitment to supporting inclusive, accountable and capable security institutions and sustaining partnerships that translate reform into measurable operational impact

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For more information and media interviews, contact:

Communications Analyst Mercy Khozi; mercy.khozi@undp.org 

Project Coordinator Shupe Makashinyi; shupe.makashinyi@undp.org

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