Major Sania Safdar of the Pakistan Army, currently serving with the United Nations Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), has made history as the mission’s first peacekeeper to receive the 2023 “Certificate of Recognition” for advocating gender equality, as announced by the mission.
The award, presented by Colin Stewart, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in Cyprus, was issued by the UN Department for Peace Operations in New York. “Receiving this certificate as the first peacekeeper from UNFICYP is incredibly meaningful to me and significant for our mission in Cyprus,” said Major Safdar. “It stands as a testament to our dedication to gender equality.”
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The UN’s “Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award,” established in 2016, honors military peacekeepers who demonstrate exceptional commitment to promoting the principles of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace, and Security (WPS).
Alongside this award, the Department for Peace Operations also recognizes military personnel from other UN Missions who contribute to advancing the WPS agenda in countries where peacekeeping operations are active.
In her role in Cyprus, Major Safdar serves as the Mission’s Force Signal Officer and one of UNFICYP’s military gender focal points. Her duties include managing communication systems and championing gender equality within the military component.
Since her deployment last year, she has led several initiatives aimed at integrating the Women, Peace, and Security Agenda into the military aspects of the mission’s work, which ultimately contributed to her receiving this recognition.
As the Mission’s Force Signal Officer, she has also worked to enhance the effectiveness of joint patrols by integrating communication tools, thereby improving military operations on the ground and advancing gender representation in the military.
According to the mission, the participation of women in peacekeeping missions brings diverse perspectives and skills, enhancing operational effectiveness and promoting inclusive conflict resolution approaches. Their meaningful involvement fosters gender equality within operations and contributes to more comprehensive and sustainable peace efforts.
“UNFICYP is steadily increasing the number of women in peacekeeping and promoting their participation, while also engaging with Member States to encourage further representation of uniformed women as key actors in fulfilling the Mission’s mandate.”
The recognition awarded to Major Safdar underscores UNFICYP’s commitment to gender equality, the mission added.