Indian Army's Major Suman Gawani To Get UN Award For Her Work In South Sudan

An Indian Army Major who has served with the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), she is also a woman peacekeeper. A Brazilian woman commander has been selected for the prestigious United Nations Military Gender Advocate as ¡°powerful role models.¡±

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Indian Army Major Suman Gawani will be awarded in an online ceremony presided over by United Nations Secretary General Guterres on May 29, which is the International Day for UN Peacekeepers.

Ms Gawani has completed an assignment in South Sudan which is apart from the stint with the UNMISS.

Guterres has commended Ms Gawani and Ms Araujo. ¡°These peacekeepers are powerful role models. Through their work, they have brought new perspectives and have helped build trust and confidence among the communities we serve," he said.

"Through their commitment and innovative approaches, they embrace a standard of excellence that is an inspiration to all blue helmets everywhere. As we confront today's challenges, their work has never been more important or relevant."

This is the very first time that the UN Military Gender Advocate award has gone to an Indian peacekeeper and this is the second year in the row that the Brazilian peacekeeper has received this honour.

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The award was created in 2016, this prestigious award recognizes the effort and dedication of an individual military peacekeeper in promoting the principles of the UN Security Resolution 1325 which has been on women, peace and security in a peace operation as nominated by Heads and Force commander of peace operations.

Apparently it is the first time that the awards are being given to two peacekeepers and it will be given to them jointly for their efforts in the field.

Major Gawani has expressed her gratitude towards the recognition she has received. ¡°Whatever our function, position or rank, it is our duty as peacekeepers to integrate an all-genders perspective into our daily work and own it in our interactions with colleagues as well as with communities," she said in a statement issued here.

Major Gawani joined the Indian National Army in 2011 where she graduated from the Officers Training, then joined the Army Signal Corps.

She has done her Bachelor in Telecommunication Engineering and a Bachelor of Education degrees from Military College of Telecommunication, and the Government Post Graduate College in Dehradun respectively.

In December 2018, she was deployed in the UNMISS, Ms Gawani mentored over 230 UN Military Observers (UNMO) on conflict -related sexual violence and ensured the presence of women military observers in each of the mission¡¯s team sites.

"By providing support, mentoring, guidance and leadership, she helped to create an enabling environment for UN Peacekeepers," the statement said.

Gutterres has made sure that ending sexual violence as a priority in the UN peace operations a priority and Atul Khare who is the under secretary general for operational support has announced a zero tolerance policy for peacekeepers.

"As we confront today's challenges, their work has never been more important or relevant," Guterres said.