THE PRIDE OF UTTARAKHAND-MAJOR SUMAN GAWANI

THE PRIDE OF UTTARAKHAND-MAJOR SUMAN GAWANI

May 29, the International Day Of United Nations Peacekeepers. Major Suman Gawani of India and Commander Carla Monteiro de Castro Araujo of Brazil shared the prestigious United Nations Military Gender Advocate Award of the year. Since the inception of the award in 2016 its for the first time that two peacekeepers have been nominated as joint winners of the award. Major Gawani became the first Indian to receive the award. She was deployed in South Sudan, mentored more than 230 Military Observers on conflict-related sexual violence and ensured the presence of women military observers in each of the mission’s team sites. She also trained the South Sudanese government forces and helped them launch their action plan on conflict-related sexual violence. Indian peacekeepers, who were honoured posthumously with the prestigious Dag Hammarskjöld Medal, Major Ravi Inder Singh Sandhu and Sergeant Lal Manotra Tarsem, who served with the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), Sergeant Ramesh Singh with the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
The year 2020 marks the 20th anniversary of Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security. The theme for the International Day of UN Peacekeepers this year is ‘Women in Peacekeeping: A Key to Peace.’

Madhvendra Mishra

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