In a formal ceremony held July 17 at Cap-Haïtien’s Versailles Complex, Haiti’s national police force (Police Nationale d’Haïti, PNH) officially kicked off the second phase of its groundbreaking outreach campaign, “PNH New Generation: Women at the heart of change.” The targeted initiative is designed to break down historical barriers to female entry in law enforcement, encouraging more professional women across the country to pursue careers with the PNH while reshaping the institution’s public image through greater gender diversity.
The launch event drew senior police leadership, United Nations officials, and community stakeholders, including Divisional Commissioner Ernst Dorfeuille, the North Department’s PNH director; Louis Guerro Plancher, representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP); Divisional Commissioner Erna Royal, UNDP Focal Point for the program’s Basket Fund; and Divisional Commissioner Étienne Salvador, PNH’s community policing coordinator.
Speakers across all participating organizations aligned on a core message: expanding women’s representation within the PNH is a critical step toward repairing and deepening trust between law enforcement and local communities, as well as advancing ongoing institutional modernization efforts across Haiti’s national police force.
Divisional Inspector Nativita Kerline Jean Philippe, head of gender-based violence response for the North Department, highlighted the on-the-ground practical benefits of increasing female police presence. She noted that greater gender balance within the force would allow officers to more effectively respond to Haiti’s complex social realities, particularly by delivering more culturally appropriate, trauma-informed support to survivors of gender-based violence.
Representing the PNH’s Police Recruitment Service (SRP), Municipal Inspector Paul Smith Bonne Année walked attendees through the campaign’s next steps, outlining official admission requirements for new recruits, breaking down the multi-stage recruitment process, and detailing long-term career growth pathways available within the force. He closed his remarks by inviting all eligible attendees to bring their skills and experience to public service, serving the Haitian nation through a career in law enforcement.
Following formal presentations, the event concluded with an interactive question-and-answer session between speakers and attending community members. Participants demonstrated significant enthusiasm and interest in the campaign, raising detailed questions about recruitment eligibility, career advancement opportunities, and institutional onboarding processes—all of which received clear, direct responses from the event’s panel.
International partners are backing the second phase of the campaign to advance police reform in Haiti. The initiative receives core funding from the European Union, is implemented on the ground by the UNDP, and is being executed by local Haitian firm KONEKTE, as part of a broader international effort to strengthen the institutional capacity of the Haitian National Police amid ongoing governance and security challenges in the country.