EDMONTON – The Edmonton Police Service is hoping to attract more Muslim women into the force by incorporating the hijab headscarf into its uniform.
“We’ve developed a prototype that we’re currently consulting with the community to be able to identify what we need to do to ensure that we’re respecting both religious and cultural practices, as well as ensuring that we have officer safety when we incorporate the head scarf into the police uniform,” said Natasha Goudar, Manager of the Equity, Diversity and Human Rights Unit (EDHRU) with the EPS.
The topic was discussed during the Edmonton Police Commission’s meeting Thursday evening.
Goudar says people who practice Islam are a huge part of Edmonton’s diverse community and the EPS needs to be reflective of that.
If approved, Goudar hopes it will be one less barrier for Muslim women to go through when considering policing as a career option.
“Once we have more awareness within the community, then hopefully in the city, that will mean that more young or more Muslim women see policing as an option and start considering it,” she explained. “We want more women in policing. And women are also Muslim. And so while we’re focusing specifically on reducing a barrier with regards to a religious and cultural practice, we’re also looking at this as reducing a barrier to women period becoming police officers.”
The EDHRU is finalizing its proposal, which Goudar says will be presented to the Chief’s committee by the end of the year.
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