Major Sania Safdar of the Pakistan Army, currently serving with the United Nations Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), has become the first peacekeeper from the mission to receive the 2023 ‘Certificate of Recognition’ for advocating gender equality.
The award, issued by the UN Department for Peace Operations in New York, was presented to Maj Safdar by Colin Stewart, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in Cyprus, as per a statement from the mission on Wednesday.
Maj Safdar expressed the significance of the award, stating, “Receiving this certificate as the first peacekeeper from UNFICYP is deeply meaningful to me and significant for our mission in Cyprus. It serves as a testament to our commitment to gender equality.”
The UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award, established in 2016, honors the efforts of military peacekeepers in promoting the principles of UN Security Council Resolution 1325. Maj Safdar, whose responsibilities include overseeing communication systems and promoting gender equality within the military component, has been proactive in leading several initiatives since her deployment last year, contributing to this recognition.
