Major Radhika Sen of the Indian Army has been awarded the prestigious Gender Advocate Award. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, on Thursday , awarded Radhika Sen the 2023 Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award. This day is celebrated as the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers.
Thirty-year-old Major Radhika Sen is the second Indian peacekeeper, after Major Suman Gawani , to receive this honor . Suman Gawani worked with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan and received this award in 2019. Out of 6,063 Indian personnel in UN peacekeeping operations, 1,954 work with MONUSCO, of which 32 are women. Currently, India has the 11th largest contribution of women peacekeepers working for the United Nations.
The prestigious Gender Advocate of the Year award recognizes the efforts of peacekeepers in promoting the Security Council resolution of the year 2000, which works to protect women and girls from sexual violence in conflict areas.
Major Radhika is a role model:
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres congratulated Radhika Sen and called her a role model. According to the United Nations, Radhika Sen worked with the United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo. There, Radhika helped build a brilliant and alert network in North Kiv, which provided a platform for community people, youth and women to raise their voice for their safety. She gained the trust of conflict-affected communities, including women and girls, with a sense of dedication. Radhika Sen’s soldiers worked with her in the atmosphere of increasing conflict in North Kiv.
A Post Graduate from IIT Bombay:
Radhika Sen is originally from the Indian hill state of Himachal Pradesh and is a biotech engineer. Radhika was pursuing a master’s degree at IIT Bombay when she decided to join the army. Major Sen, born in 1993, joined the Indian Army eight years ago. After this, she moved up one level after another. She was deployed to the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) as an Engagement Platoon Commander with the Indian Rapid Deployment Battalion in 2023, and completed her tenure in April 2024.
This is what Major Radhika said:
Reacting on the day of announcement of award , Radhika Sen said , “Gender-sensitive peacebuilding is everyone’s job, not just us women. Peace begins with the beautiful diversity of all of us.” This award is special for me. It recognizes the hard work of all the peacekeepers working in the challenging environment of the Democratic Republic of Congo and giving their best to bring positive change in society.
