By Pauline Odhiambo
Be it history or fiction, the cult of fearless, all-conquering female fighters is an enduring one.
In Marvel’s mythical Kingdom of Wakanda, the elite Midnight Angels evoke shock and awe in their winged stealth suits as they zealously guard their land and people.
Africa, too, has had its share of women fighters. For at least 300 years from the 17th century, the all-female army unit Agojie fiercely guarded the Dahomey kingdom, which became modern-day Benin.
Libya's Muammar Gaddafi, in his prime, flaunted the Amazonian Guard – an elite cadre of female bodyguards who protected him until his ouster and assassination in 2011.
Despite such a chequered history, women in the contemporary security industry are less acknowledged and face many challenges in advancing their careers.
This is precisely what motivated Sienna Dutkowski to start Lady Askari, a female-focused security company established in Kenya and Ethiopia to redefine women's role in the industry.
"Many female security experts are keen on adding value to the security business, based on their unique perspectives and professional backgrounds. They have been unable to do so because space hasn't been created for them within the industry," Sienna tells TRT Afrika.
Data collated by the International Security Training Academy (ISTA) shows that women constitute 11% of the private security workforce worldwide.
Lady Askari aims to facilitate training opportunities for security professionals, especially women, to enhance their skill sets and boost career growth.
Close protection
Askari, which means "sentry" in Swahili, is a term often used to refer to security personnel who guard the gates to residential neighbourhoods, office buildings, or shopping outlets in Kenya.
Many askaris in the country are entry-level employees with barely any security training, contributing to the low female presence in the industry.
"If 89% of the security workforce are men, then solutions that are created come from a male perspective," says Sienna, whose staff comprises 97 security professionals and 58 women.
"Female-oriented security is not intended to pit male perspectives against those of women. It is meant to explore how elements like mothers' instinct, female intuition and women's natural ability to blend into different social settings can be of value in security."
Studies by ISTA reveal that many people assume security officers must look like bodybuilders and that such work is "too dangerous" for women.
Sienna says these misconceptions often work to her advantage when compiling a security detail for various requirements.
"One of our best female close-protection officers is just 5ft tall," points out Sienna.
Close protection is the provision of physical personal security by bodyguards to ensure the safety of VIPs or other individuals who may be exposed to elevated personal risk because of their high-profile status, net worth, affiliations or geographical location.
So, how can stature and femininity be utilised in close protection? Winnie Bolo, the 5ft tall askari, studied psychology at university and has worked with Lady Askari since it was established in 2020.
"The idea of a female bodyguard still surprises many people. I am often mistaken for a secretary or personal assistant when I am on the job, making it easier to do what I am expected to do. I easily blend into a crowd, gather intel or do surveillance unnoticed," the 30-year-old tells TRT Afrika.
"Also, not all security jobs require muscles. Risk assessment, for example, is all brain," she says.
Accent on soft skills
In addition to risk assessment, Lady Askari brings together security professionals of diverse backgrounds trained in different aspects of security, including secure journey management, investigation, intelligence gathering, criminology, loss prevention and CCTV monitoring.
Sienna’s experience in security management helped her to structure the core operations of Lady Askari with her husband, James, the company’s co-founder who had about 20 years of experience in the security sphere as a marine officer.
She recalls an incident where her husband James, who was in charge of a team guarding a female ambassador during a mission to Iraq, became more aware of the value of female expertise.
"The ambassador asked James what would happen if she needed to use the washroom. He gave her a standard response about how the security team had already identified the ideal facility she would use," narrates Sienna.
The ambassador responded by pointing out that James would need to mobilise his all-male security team to clear the bathroom. He would then have to position a man by the door and another by the window while the ambassador used the facility.
"Female bodyguards would have likely blended in better and possibly been more discreet in that scenario," says Sienna.
"So, if the ultimate goal is to create the best security solutions for all clients, we must consider some softer skills. Having women experts is beneficial in many ways, and this is part of the reason we picked a gendered name for our organisation."
Intel and partnerships
Lady Askari's intelligence team comprises solely women – a factor Sienna says works to the company's advantage.
"The misconception that women are inherently gossip-loving people is useful, especially in information services and investigations," she says. "In the security world, gossiping is useful for gathering intelligence."
Sienna's background in community development has helped her work with various local and international organisations to enhance community security.
"We work with organisations like I Am My Bodyguard, which does personal security training specifically for children," she states. "She Hacks’ and Protect Us Kids Foundation are among some of the other organisations we have partnered with to host child protection programmes for children, especially in navigating online sites that prey on kids."
Lady Askari has also built several playgrounds in prisons across Kenya to provide safe spaces where children of incarcerated mothers can play.
Sienna is now working to recruit a female driver with experience as a mechanic, even as the company explores more training opportunities for Lady Askari's staff.
"We provide driving training to augment people's skills from the standpoint of security, something closely related to defensive driving," she tells TRT Afrika.
"The challenge with this is that defensive driving requires a specific track and certain training licensing. We aim to partner with a reputable driving school to achieve this."
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