Updated: April 07, 2014, 12:00 AM
In pictures: Female Palestinian commandos in training
The 22 future commandos are trailblazers in a still largely male-dominated society, set to become the first female members of the Presidential Guards, a Palestinian elite force of 2,600 men. Ammar Awad / Reuters
The women performed their drills at the walled Presidential Guards training complex in Jericho. Ammar Awad / Reuters
Several women, including non-swimmers, were asked to jump into a pool as a show of courage during the training exercise. They dived in full uniform, including boots, and one had to be pulled out by a lifeguard. Ahmad Gharabli / AFP
As a female officer, traditional roles would have been in administration, but new recruitment drives appeal to women who want adventure. . Ahmad Gharabli / AFP
The female Presidential Guards recruits were picked from last year’s graduating class of Independence University, a four-year security academy in Jericho that trains future officers. Ahmad Gharabli / AFP. Ammar Awad / Reuters
Women make up just 3 per cent of 30,000 members of the Palestinian police and other security agencies in the West Bank, but there’s a push to recruit more. Ammar Awad / Reuters
The trainees had responded to ads announcing the guards wanted recruits, but faced a tough selection process, with only a few dozen of the tallest and fittest being chosen. Ahmad Gharabli / AFP