United Nations Peacekeeping has announced the shortlisted nominees for the 2025 Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award, recognising uniformed military personnel who have made outstanding contributions to advancing the Women, Peace and Security agenda in field missions. The nominees represent major UN peacekeeping operations, including UNIFIL in Lebanon, UNMISS in South Sudan, UNISFA in Abyei and MONUSCO in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The award is presented annually on the International Day of UN Peacekeepers, observed on 29 May, to honour the service, sacrifice and professionalism of peacekeepers deployed across conflict and post-conflict regions. The Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award was created in 2016 by the Office of Military Affairs under the UN Department of Peace Operations and recognises a military peacekeeper who has shown exceptional dedication to integrating a gender perspective into peacekeeping activities.
This year’s shortlist holds special significance for India, with three Indian Army officers appearing among the nominees highlighted by UN Peacekeeping. The Indian nominees include Major Abhilasha Barak from UNIFIL in Lebanon, Major Mouiz Yaseen from UNMISS in South Sudan, and Major Soniya Newaskar from UNMISS in South Sudan. The wider shortlist also includes Major Maria Michela Tagliacozzi Lanciotti of Italy from UNIFIL, Major Patricia Asafo-Adjei of Ghana from UNISFA, and Major Rabin Thapa of Nepal from MONUSCO, as identified from the UN Peacekeeping post and accompanying visuals.
Major Abhilasha Barak, who is serving with the Indian Battalion in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, was later named the recipient of the 2025 UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award. She is serving as Commander of the Female Engagement Team in UNIFIL and is also widely recognised as the first woman combat helicopter pilot of the Indian Army.
Her recognition marks another proud moment for India’s contribution to UN peacekeeping. With this honour, Major Barak becomes the third Indian peacekeeper to receive the award, after Major Suman Gawani, who was recognised in 2019 for her service with the UN Mission in South Sudan, and Major Radhika Sen, who received the 2023 award for her work with MONUSCO in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The award is closely linked to the principles of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security. The resolution calls for the increased participation of women in peace processes, protection of women and girls in conflict zones, and the integration of gender perspectives into peacekeeping and peacebuilding operations.
According to the UN framework, nominees are selected from candidates put forward by Force Commanders and Heads of Mission across peace operations. The key award criteria include demonstrated efforts to promote gender equality, integrate gender-sensitive approaches into military tasks, strengthen engagement with local women and girls, support protection mandates, and advance the broader Women, Peace and Security agenda in mission areas.
The photos released with the announcement showed female peacekeepers in UN blue berets and mission-specific uniforms, symbolising the increasingly visible role of women in peacekeeping operations. These images reflected the diversity of troop-contributing countries and the growing emphasis on gender-responsive peacekeeping, especially in missions where local communities face the impact of conflict, displacement and insecurity.
For India, the presence of three Indian Army officers on the shortlist underlines the country’s continuing contribution to global peacekeeping and its growing role in gender-inclusive military operations. Indian women peacekeepers have increasingly taken on community engagement, patrol, liaison, protection and outreach responsibilities in complex mission environments, helping build trust with local populations, particularly women and children.
Major Barak’s work in Lebanon highlights the importance of Female Engagement Teams in modern peacekeeping. Such teams often serve as a critical link between military peacekeepers and local communities, especially in areas where cultural and social barriers may prevent women from directly approaching male peacekeepers. Through outreach, dialogue, confidence-building and sensitisation activities, these teams help missions better understand local security concerns and strengthen protection efforts.
The 2025 shortlist also reflects the international character of UN peacekeeping. Officers from India, Italy, Ghana and Nepal, serving across Lebanon, South Sudan, Abyei and the DRC, represent different military traditions but a shared commitment to inclusive peace operations. Their nomination demonstrates how gender advocacy is no longer a peripheral function but an operational necessity in conflict zones.
The Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award continues to serve as a platform to recognise peacekeepers who go beyond traditional military duties to support community trust, gender equality and protection of vulnerable populations. By honouring such officers, the United Nations reinforces the message that effective peacekeeping requires not only operational readiness, but also empathy, inclusion and a deep understanding of the communities it serves.
In total, three Indian Army officers were among the shortlisted nominees highlighted this year: Major Abhilasha Barak, Major Mouiz Yaseen and Major Soniya Newaskar. Major Abhilasha Barak’s selection as the 2025 awardee further strengthens India’s record in UN peacekeeping and places her among a distinguished group of Indian officers who have earned global recognition for advancing the Women, Peace and Security agenda.
