An Indian Army Major, who has been selected for the 2019 UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award for her role in the organisation's anti-sexual violence campaign, has been called a "powerful role model" by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
This is the first time that an Indian Army officer and woman peacekeeper Suman Gawani is being given the UN Military Gender Advocate Award. Major Gawani has also been awarded for her outstanding contribution to peacekeeping efforts in UNMISS.
The award, created in 2016, recognizes the dedication and effort of individual military peacekeepers in promoting the UN principles on Women, Peace and Security in peace operations. Women peacekeepers are nominated by the heads and force commanders of peace operations.
Major Gawani was scheduled to visit New York for the award ceremony but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she will receive the award during an online ceremony.
Gawani shares the award with Commander Carla Monteiro de Castro Araujo, a Brazilian Naval officer working in the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic.
They will receive the award at a ceremony presided over by Guterres on Friday, which is observed as International Day of UN Peacekeepers.
"These peacekeepers are powerful role models," Guterres said. "They have brought new perspectives and have helped to build trust and confidence among the communities we serve."
Guterres has made ending sexual violence and exploitation in UN peace operations a priority and Atul Khare, 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.
Gawani said of her role: "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".
While talking to an eminent media house Gawani said, "I was supposed to go to New York at the United Nations headquarters for this award, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I will be honoured in an online ceremony on May 29. I am the first Indian to get this award."
Major Suman Gawani, who is with the Army Signal Corps, through her "support, mentoring, guidance and leadership, she helped to create enabling environment for UN Peacekeepers" by combating sexual violence in conflict situations, the UN said on Tuesday announcing the award.
While deployed as a military observer with the UN Mission in South Sudan, Gawani "mentored over 230 UN 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 South Sudanese government forces and helped them to launch their action plan on conflict-related sexual violence," it added.
In 2011, Major Gawani joined the Indian Army where she graduated from the Officers Training Academy, and then joined the Army Signal Corps.
She completed her schooling in Uttarkashi and holds a Bachelor of Education degree from the Government Post Graduate College in Dehradun. She hails from Pokhar village in Tehri Garwhal. While her father is a retired government officer, two of her three siblings are serving in the Indian Armed forces. Presently, Major Gawani is posted in Delhi.