UN honours Major Abhilasha Barak with Gender Advocate Award

Indian Army officer Major Abhilasha Barak received the United Nations Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award for 2025 on 22-23 May 2026. She serves with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon as Commander of the Female Engagement Team in the Indian Battalion.

United Nations Military Gender Advocate Award

The United Nations Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award was instituted in 2016 by the Office of Military Affairs under the United Nations Department of Peace Operations. The award is presented annually to a military peacekeeper for work related to gender equality and Women, Peace and Security.

United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325

United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 was adopted in 2000 and deals with Women, Peace and Security. The resolution covers the participation of women in peace processes, the protection of women and girls in conflict, and gender perspectives in peacekeeping operations.

Major Abhilasha Barak’s service in Lebanon

Major Barak led outreach and community engagement activities for women and adolescent girls during her deployment in Lebanon. She also conducted gender sensitisation training for fellow peacekeepers in the mission area.

Important Facts for Exams

• Major Abhilasha Barak became the first woman combat helicopter pilot in the Indian Army in May 2022.
• She became the third Indian peacekeeper to receive the United Nations Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award.
• Major Suman Gawani received the award in 2019, and Major Radhika Sen received it in 2023.
• The formal ceremony is expected at the United Nations headquarters around 29 May 2026, which coincides with the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers.