Indian Peacekeeper Wins UN 2023 Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award

New Delhi, May 29, 2024: Major Radhika Sen, an Indian military peacekeeper serving with the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), has been awarded the 2023 United Nations Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award. Major Sen served as the Commander of MONUSCO’s Engagement Platoon for the Indian Rapid Deployment Battalion in eastern DRC from March 2023 to April 2024.

The award will be presented by UN Secretary-General António Guterres during a ceremony marking the International Day of UN Peacekeepers on May 30, 2024. Established in 2016, the Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award honours individual military peacekeepers who promote the principles of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000) on women, peace, and security.

Secretary-General Guterres lauded Major Sen for her exemplary service: “Major Sen is a true leader and role model. Her service was a true credit to the United Nations as a whole. In an escalating conflict environment in North Kivu, her troops actively engaged with conflict-affected communities, including women and girls. She earned their trust through humility, compassion, and dedication.”

Upon receiving the news, Major Sen expressed her gratitude: “This award is special to me as it recognizes the hard work of all peacekeepers in the challenging environment of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Gender-sensitive peacekeeping is everybody’s business—not just us, women. Peace begins with all of us in our beautiful diversity!”

Major Sen's tenure was marked by her leadership in mixed-gender engagement patrols in a volatile environment, assisting communities fleeing conflict. She helped establish Community Alert Networks in North Kivu, enabling community leaders, youth, and women to voice their security and humanitarian concerns, which were then addressed by the mission.

As a Platoon Commander, Major Sen created a safe and inclusive environment for both male and female peacekeepers, becoming a role model for all under her command. She ensured that her team’s operations were sensitive to gender and sociocultural norms, fostering trust and enhancing their effectiveness.

Major Sen also facilitated English classes for children and provided health, gender, and vocational training for displaced and marginalized adults. Her initiatives inspired women's solidarity, creating safe spaces for dialogue and empowerment. In Kashlira near Rwindi town, she encouraged women to organize, advocate for their rights, and participate in local security and peace discussions.

This award marks Major Sen as the second Indian peacekeeper to receive this prestigious honour, following Major Suman Gawani, a co-recipient in 2019. Previous honourees have hailed from Brazil, Ghana, Kenya, Niger, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. India is currently the eleventh largest contributor of women military peacekeepers to the United Nations, with 124 deployed.

About Major Radhika Sen
Born in Himachal Pradesh in 1993, Major Radhika Sen joined the Indian army eight years ago after graduating as a biotech engineer and pursuing a master’s degree from IIT Bombay. She deployed to MONUSCO in March 2023 as the Engagement Platoon Commander with the Indian Rapid Deployment Battalion, completing her tenure in April 2024.

The Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award is guided by the principles of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000) and subsequent resolutions on women, peace, and security. These resolutions emphasize the need for a gender perspective in peacekeeping, the participation of women in peace and political processes, the protection from conflict-related sexual violence, and the increased role of women in UN operations, including uniformed women peacekeepers.