Abu Dhabi: It was 32 years ago, on September 16, 1978, that the first batch of women police officers joined Abu Dhabi Police. The 24 women officers who graduated from their academy created history.
The police force paid glowing tribute to the pioneering women and the impact of women in general on the organisation with events spread over an entire fortnight recently.
Gulf News spoke to a policewoman who has not only served the country with distinction for more than two decades but also headed the women's training section at Abu Dhabi Police until June this year.
"I am extremely proud about the achievements of female police officers. Over the 32 years, we have grown into an integral part of the force," First Lieutenant Shammaa Al Muhairi said.
Training section
Shammaa was one of four female officers whose services received special mention from the force on International Women's Day in March this year.
Having headed the women's training section for five years, she said things have come a long way since the time she signed up as a trainee officer back in 1990.
"Initially it was shock and disbelief for my friends and relatives when they found out I wanted to join the police … but now they are most proud of me," she said.
Shammaa recalls that she was 19 at the time and had just finished high school. Coming from a traditional Emirati family, girls of her age were pursuing careers as doctors and engineers. The police force was seen as more of a man's job, she said.
"It was my late father who motivated me to join the police. He was inspired by the words of Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan," she says.
"My father used to go to Shaikh Zayed's majlis and heard him speak on many occasions of the role of women in developing our country. When he returned one day, he suggested this career option to me and I was more than happy to oblige," she said.
After ten months of training, she was inducted into the police force. Today there are about 1,500 women in the force.
"As an Emirati woman, to don the police uniform and to serve my country is an honour like none other," says Shammaa.
The job has made her disciplined and independent, she reckons.
"It also has helped me trust myself more."
Once she had graduated from the academy, she was deployed to the fingerprints section for five years as a sergeant.
She also joined the shooting team and won several accolades for impressive performances in competitions before going on to captain the UAE Olympic shooting team.
She underwent further training and moved up the ranks to become a First Lieutenant. "I held different posts at training section and finally reached its top position."
The most memorable moment in her career was in 2007 when she became the first Emirati woman to have won a gold medal at the Pan Arab Games, she said.
Oldtimer recalls how friends and relatives were initially taken aback by her career decision
