AIRCOP has expanded its work related to gender mainstreaming, particularly through its regional Virtual Coffees for Women of AIRCOP, of which AIRCOP has organized two in 2024 (one anglophone and one francophone) with participation from Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Ghana, Mali, Nigeria, The Gambia, and Togo. The first meeting was held the 15 February and was for anglophones, while the second took place on 13 March and was for francophones.
This series of Virtual Coffees focused on exchanges between airport and seaport interagency task forces, and invisible barriers that women face as they build their careers in predominantly male-dominated environments. Interventions were welcomed from the head of the Port Control Unit in Ghana and an officer from the Joint Interdiction Task Force (JAITF) of Abuja (Nigeria), during which both agents discussed their experiences as women working in seaport and airport environments.
During the francophone meeting, interventions were made by the head of JAITF of Cotonou (Benin) and agents from the JAITF of Abidjan (Cote d’Ivoire). Participants from both meetings highlighted the importance of mentorship and female representation in managerial positions for young women in law enforcement to look up to.
