The United Nations has selected the Indian Army Major Radhika Sen for the prestigious 2023 Military Gender Advocate of the Year award. The award will be conferred to Major Radhika Sen by the United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres on the occasion of the International Day of the UN Peacekeepers. The International Day of the UN Peacekeepers is observed on 29 May every year since 2003.

About the Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award

The United Nations Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award was created by the Office of Military Affairs within the Department for Peace Operations of the United Nations in 2016.

The Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award honours the dedication and effort of an individual UN peacekeeper who has integrated a gender perspective into peacekeeping activities.

The award honours the efforts of a UN peacekeeper whose action promotes the principles of the United Nations Security Council resolution passed in 2000, which calls for the protection of women and children against sexual violence in conflict zones and also lays down the gender-related responsibilities for the United Nations.

The awardee is selected amongst the candidates nominated by the United Nations Force Commanders and Heads of Mission from all United Nations-mandated peace operations.

Second Indian to win the UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award

Major Radhika Sen becomes the second Indian to be awarded the United Nations Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award.

Major Suman Gawani was the first Indian to be honoured with the UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award in 2019. Major Suman Gawani was deployed with the United Nations Mission in the Republic of South Sudan (UNMISS).

Major Radhika, who is from Himachal Pradesh, was deployed with the Indian Rapid Deployment Battalion in South Sudan in 2023. She was working with the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo MONUSCO. While working in South Sudan Major Sen helped in creating Community Alert Networks in North Kivu province of South Sudan. The Community Alert Network provided a platform for the community leaders, young people, and women “to voice their security and humanitarian concerns”.

At present, 6,063 Indian personnel are working with the UN peacekeeping operations. Out of 6,603, 1,954 are with MONUSCO, of which 32 are women.