United Nations, May 25

An Indian army officer and female peacekeeper, who served with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), and a female commander from Brazil have been shortlisted for the prestigious military lawyer award from the United Nations Year for Gender Equality (2019), with UN chief António António Guterres describing them as “powerful role models”.

Major Suman Gawani and Brazilian Naval Officer Commandant Carla Monteiro de Castro Araujo will receive the award in an online ceremony chaired by United Nations Secretary-General Guterres on May 29, the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers .

Military Observer Gawani recently completed a tour of duty in South Sudan outside of her UNMISS stint.

Araujo works with the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA).

Guterres congratulated Gawani and Araujo.

“These peacekeepers are powerful role models. Through their work, they have brought new perspectives and helped build trust between the communities we serve,” he said.

“Through their commitment and innovative approaches, they are embracing a standard of excellence that is an inspiration to all peacekeepers around the world. As we face the challenges of today, their work has never been more important or relevant.

This is the first time that the United Nations Military Gender Advocate Award has been presented to an Indian peacekeeper. This is the second year in a row that a Brazilian peacekeeper has received this honor.

Established in 2016, the award recognizes the dedication and efforts of a military peacekeeper in promoting the principles of UN Security Resolution 1325, which focuses on women, peace and security in a peace operation, as named by leaders and commanders of peace operations. .

For the first time, two peacekeepers will receive the award jointly.

Gawani expressed his gratitude for the recognition of his work.

“Whatever our function, position or rank, it is our duty as peacekeepers to integrate a gender perspective into our daily work and possess it in our interactions with our colleagues as well as ‘with the communities,’ she said in a statement posted here.

Gawani joined the Indian Army in 2011 where she graduated from the Officer Training Academy and then joined the Army Signal Corps.

She holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Telecommunications and a Bachelor of Education from the Military College of Telecommunications and Government Post Graduate College, Dehradun respectively.

Since her deployment to UNMISS in December 2018, Gawani has mentored more than 230 United Nations Military Observers (UNMOs) on conflict-related sexual violence and ensured the presence of military observers in each of the mission’s team sites. .

“By providing support, mentorship, advice and leadership, she has helped create an enabling environment for UN peacekeepers,” the statement said, adding that Gawani has also trained South Sudanese government forces and helped them launch their action plan on conflict-related sexual violence.

The Military Gender Advocate of the Year award builds on the principles set out in United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 and follow-up resolutions on women, peace and security.

The resolutions call on actors to integrate a gender perspective into all aspects of peacekeeping and peacebuilding and to ensure the participation of women in peace and political processes.

They also call for the protection and prevention of conflict-related sexual violence and the expansion of the role and contribution of women in UN operations, including uniformed female peacekeepers.

The statement said that about 6.4% of the 85,000 uniformed peacekeepers currently serving in UN missions are women.

The UN is working with Member States to increase the number and percentage of women in military, police, justice and prison personnel.

He added that in this context, promoting the participation of women, both in peacekeeping and in the societies in which we serve, is central to the efforts of the United Nations. PTI