UNITED NATIONS: Pakistan Army’s Major Sania Safdar, who is serving with the United Nations Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), became its first peacekeeper to rec­e­ive the 2023 ‘Certificate of Recognition’ for advocating gender equality.

The award, issued by the New York-based UN Department for Peace Operations, was presented to her by the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General in Cyprus, Colin Stewart, according to the mission’s statement on Wednesday.

“Receiving this certificate as the first peacekeeper from UNFICYP is deeply meaningful to me and significant for our mission in Cyprus,” Maj Safdar said. “It serves as a testament to our commitment to gender equality.”

Created in 2016, the UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award recognises the dedication and efforts of an individual military peacekeeper in promoting the principles of UN Security Council Resolution 1325.

Maj Safdar’s primary tasks involve overseeing communication systems and promoting gender equality within military component. Since her deployment last year, she proactively took charge of several initiatives to contribute to achieve this recognition by focusing on integrating women into the mission’s work.

Published in Dawn, August 22nd, 2024