Editor
UNITED NATIONS: Pakistan Army’s Major Sania Safdar, who’s serving with the United Nations Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), grew to become its first peacekeeper to obtain the 2023 “Certificate of Recognition” for advocating gender equality, in response to the mission.
The award, issued by the New York-based UN Department for Peace Operations, was introduced to her by the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in Cyprus, Colin Stewart.
“Receiving this certificates as the primary peacekeeper from UNFICYP is deeply significant to me and important for our mission in Cyprus,” Maj Safdar mentioned. “It serves as a testomony to our dedication to gender equality.”
Created in 2016, the UN’s “Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award” recognises the dedication and efforts of a person navy peacekeeper in selling the rules of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security (WPS).
In addition to the award, the Department for Peace Operations additionally recognises navy personnel from different UN Missions who’re contributing to advance the WPS’ agenda in several international locations the place peacekeeping operations are in place.
In Cyprus, Major Safdar is at the moment serving because the Mission’s Force Signal Officer and one of many UNFICYP’s navy gender focal factors. Her major duties contain overseeing communication techniques and selling gender equality inside navy element.
Since her deployment final 12 months, she proactively took cost of a number of initiatives to contribute to attain this recognition by specializing in integrating the Women, Peace, and Security Agenda into navy parts of the mission’s work, the mission mentioned.
As the mission’s power sign officer serving within the area know-how part, she was additionally concerned in strengthening the effectiveness of joint patrols by incorporating communication instruments to reinforce navy operations on the bottom whereas, selling gender illustration in navy.
Participation of ladies in peacekeeping missions brings various views and expertise that improve operational effectiveness and foster inclusive approaches to battle decision, in response to the mission. Their significant participation promotes gender equality inside operations, contributing to extra complete and sustainable peace efforts.
“UNFICYP is on a gentle curve to extend its statistics on the variety of girls in peacekeeping in addition to selling their participation whereas participating with Member States to encourage additional illustration of uniformed girls as crucial actors in fulfilling the Mission’s mandate.”
Major Safdar’s recognition award serves as a “testomony to UNFICYP’s dedication to gender equality”, it added.
