Zainab Gbla: To foster peace and protect the vulnerable
Chief Superintendent Zainab Mbalu Gbla, a Sierra Leonean UN Police Officer who serves in the (UNISFA), is a transformative force in one of Africa's most fragile regions.
Joining the peacekeeping mission in Abyei in 2023, she found a land scarred by conflict—a stark echo of her own post-war Sierra Leone. Where others saw despair, Chief Supt. Gbla saw hope. Her unwavering commitment to making a difference in this decades-long conflict zone, especially for women and children, earned her the 2024 UN Woman Police Officer of the Year award.
Question: You are a peacekeeping veteran, having served in three peacekeeping missions so far. Tell us about your work with local communities, especially children and youth through education and mentoring.
Zainab Gbla: My first two missions, I was [stationed] at the main headquarters and did not have the opportunity to meet people in the field. But when I went to Abyei, I was deployed as a Gender Officer in [the] Tagalei Team Site, and I had the opportunity to work in the field.
One of my duties is to engage the women on the issues of and . My initial meeting with the people was very alarming. I saw children roaming in the street aimlessly. I was taken back to what happened in my country, Sierra Leone. I knew I had to do something.
Sierra Leone was ravaged. We had a big war. We had many child soldiers in my country, so I never wanted that to happen in Abyei, so I took that opportunity. You know, there is a saying “catch them while they are young.” That is, you either make or break them so I decided I was going to give my best, so I started the school session. All children aged three to 18 were invited.
We had an abandoned school building, and it has been unused for a long time. The local chief provided us with chairs and the kids brought their benches along. And that is how we started. I would use my resources - I started making reading books for them. I would do my own illustrations and that was how we started the school programme.
Question: Do you think you inspired any children or young people to become police officers like yourself?
Zainab Gbla: That was how I was inspired to be with the UN because I saw what the UN was doing. There were four girls that I was mentoring personally. They wanted to be police officers. They wanted to be like me. I was their role model.
[The women of Abyei] are ready to work. They are ready to do things for themselves if peace allows them. The children are ready to go to school, if peace allows them.
Question: Sierra Leone's journey from hosting a peacekeeping mission to contributing to global police operations is truly inspiring. What are the key lessons learned from this remarkable transition that could guide other communities moving from conflict to lasting peace?
Zainab Gbla: Well, I learned a lot from our success stories. What the UN did in my country - security sector reform and mentoring our police officers. I became a mentee. I saw people from different parts of the world come together just to bring peace to my country. That's why I told myself that one day I'd love to be a peacekeeper – to help other people, to return the favour.
When I saw the people of Abyei, I felt emotionally attached because I have been through similar experiences. I was empathetic and wanted to help make a difference. Look, I was a war victim like you. I have been displaced; I have been a refugee. I have tasted war. I know hunger. But look at me here now, helping to build your capacity so it can happen to you. I give them hope. I inspire them.
Question: You were just awarded the 2024 UN Woman Police Officer of the Year by the UN Secretary-General. How does it feel?
Zainab Gbla: I feel fulfilled. It is a testament that hard work pays. This is a dream come true. This award is not for me alone, it is for the women and children of Abyei because they go through a lot, and my colleagues, especially women peacekeepers in the field.
This award symbolises the tireless work of the women in uniform who serve under the UN Flag. Each one of us faces unique challenges in our respective missions, yet our collective goal remains the same—to foster peace and protect the vulnerable.
Question: How can these networks help support uniformed women's participation, particularly in leadership roles?
Zainab Gbla: We do learn from each other. We bring our success stories. We help each other. We do have motivational stories we listen to. Recently, Violet Lusala, the Police Commissioner for the UN mission in Abyei, had a talk on how she became a police commissioner. We are inspired by these stories so coming together really helps women.
Question: How can these networks help support uniformed women's participation, particularly in leadership roles?
Zainab Gbla: Seeing the growth and development of women colleagues motivates you as a woman, and it has come to a point now when we see more women helping other women move up in life.
Everyone has their own experiences. We get to learn from each other a lot, from the ones at the top and the ones at the bottom, and then we inspire each other. It is like a family.
When we allow women, allow our voices, we can advocate for equality for more women, especially in men dominated societies. In UNISFA, our current leadership (Police Commissioner Violet Lusala) leads with inclusiveness. She brings us together and she always consults us. What do you think about this? And we build our own consensus. Everybody will bring their own idea, and we take the best from it.