Spain recently appointed a woman to head the country's oldest police force, the Guardia Civil, for the first time in the agency's 175-year history. The interior ministry said in a statement it had appointed Maria Gamez, formerly the central government representative in the southern province of Malaga, as the "first woman" at the helm of the 80,000-strong Guardia Civil force.

Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, in office since June 2018, has made feminism and the promotion of women to positions of power a cornerstone of his policies.

"In 1988 women were allowed to join the Guardia Civil, now nearly 6,000 woman are part of this institution. Today, over 30 years later, a woman will be its director general. We can continue to advance towards real equality. Congratulations Maria!," he tweeted after his cabinet approved Gamez's nomination.

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Read more: Spain Appoints Its First Ever Female Police Chief (thelocal.es)

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