After 32 years of service, María Dolores Jimeno Durán has become the first woman in the history of Spain’s Civil Guard to be promoted to the rank of colonel.
Jimeno entered the Military Academy in Zaragoza in 1994 and was commissioned as a lieutenant in 1999 after completing her training at the Civil Guard Officers’ Academy in Aranjuez. She began her career in Jerez de la Frontera, where she worked in public security, border protection and operations against drug trafficking and smuggling. She later moved to Madrid to join the tax service, working in an information analysis unit focused on tackling financial crime.
After being promoted to captain, she was assigned to SEPAC, the specialised unit for combating money laundering and terrorist financing. In 2009, she transferred to the unit at the Civil Guard’s General Directorate.
In 2018, Jimeno was appointed head of the Equality and Diversity department. In this role, she took part in drafting the Civil Guard’s first equality plan and in introducing protocols to prevent sexual harassment.
Since 2024, she has served as an adviser in the office of the Minister of the Interior on work related to the Civil Guard. Jimeno has also made history as the first Civil Guard officer to complete training at the Armed Forces Staff College.
Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez congratulated Jimeno on her promotion. “We continue to move forward and break down barriers. This is another step towards building a Spain where women and men enjoy genuine equality in all areas of our society,” he said.
