The Malta Police issued this photo today to celebrate International Women's Day.

It shows two of the first five policewomen recruited by the Police Force on October 4, 1956.

The five were Mary Apap, Joan Cuschieri, Salvina Attard, Rita Refalo and Mary Cristina. Three were Gozitan, the police said.

"Women in uniform were not readily accepted at the time and they had to be escorted by a plainclothes policeman," the police said. 

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