Over 318,000 women work in the Interior Ministry's structures. "Almost 50% of them are officers," Mr. Nurgaliyev told Russian news agencies.
In 2004 the number of women-officers grew by 17,400. More than 15% of the Interior Ministry's personnel are women. "There are 20% of women among police chiefs," the minister said.
According to him, most women are involved in the passport and visa and juvenile delinquency departments (two-thirds of the personnel).
Women account for 50% of investigators, 40% workers of staff departments and 20% of officials of the Interior Ministry's central apparatus," Rashid Nurgaliyev noted.
The Interior Ministry highly values their professional and pedagogic qualities, industry, and the ability to deal with people, he emphasized.
