Major Abhilasha Barak Wins UN Gender Advocate Award

#GS-2 #Current Events #International #Defense #Women

Context

The Prime Minister of India congratulated Major Abhilasha Barak for receiving the prestigious United Nations Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award.

The United Nations Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award is an international honor recognizing the dedication of a military peacekeeper in promoting UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (UNSCR 1325) on Women, Peace, and Security.
The annual award was created in 2016 by the Office of Military Affairs within the UN Department for Peace Operations (DPO).
The objective of the award is to honor military personnel who integrate gender perspectives into field-level peacekeeping activities, ensuring that the needs of local women and girls are met.
Awardees are chosen from a competitive pool of candidates nominated by Force Commanders and Heads of Mission from active UN peace operations.
The evaluation places heavy emphasis on practical field innovations, such as launching mixed-gender patrols and building trusted networks with local women.
Winning the award provides the recipient with a global platform to share their field methodologies and mainstream gender-sensitive planning.

In 2019, Major Suman Gawani won the award for her service in the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
In 2023, Major Radhika Sen received the honor for her work in the UN Stabilization Mission in DR Congo (MONUSCO).
In 2025/26, Major Abhilasha Barak was honored for her deployment in the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

Major Abhilasha Barak is a distinguished officer of the Indian Army currently deployed in the Middle East.
She operates within UNIFIL, a volatile operational zone tasked with maintaining stability along the Blue Line between Lebanon and Israel.
She serves as the operational commander for tactical engagement teams, leading ground-level community interactions to gather critical security data.
As a Gender Focal Point, she acts as the primary link between the UN military command and local Lebanese women organizations to address gender-based vulnerabilities.