Major Abhilasha Honored with UN Gender Advocate of the Year 2025 Award

Beirut, May 23: Major Abhilasha Barak, serving as part of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, has been selected for the prestigious ‘UN Gender Advocate of the Year Award 2025’. The Indian Embassy in Lebanon has extended its congratulations to Major Abhilasha on this significant achievement.

The Indian Embassy shared the news on the social media platform ‘X’, stating, “The Embassy warmly congratulates Major Abhilasha Barak for being honored with the esteemed ‘UN Gender Advocate of the Year Award 2025’ by the United Nations. Major Barak has provided crucial service as the commander of the ‘Female Engagement Team’ (FET) of ‘INDBATTT-XXVI’.”

Major Abhilasha Barak has been entrusted with responsibilities as an Indian peacekeeper in Lebanon under the UN mission. She has been nominated for the ‘UN Military Gender Advocate Award 2025’ by the United Nations for her exemplary service.

Currently, Major Barak serves as the commander of the female participation team within the Indian battalion in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon. She is also recognized as the first female combat helicopter pilot in the Indian Army. Abhilasha is the third Indian to receive this award, following Major Suman Gawani and Major Radhika Sen, who were honored for their commendable contributions during UN peace missions.

Major Radhika Sen received the ‘2023 UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year’ award. She was appointed as an engagement platoon commander with the Indian Rapid Deployment Battalion in MONUSCO in 2023 and completed her tenure in April 2024.

Previously, in 2019, Major Suman Gawani, who served as a female peacekeeper in the UN mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), was awarded the ‘United Nations Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award’ on May 29, 2020. Major Suman received this award alongside Brazilian Navy Commander Carla Monteiro de Castro Araujo.

Major Suman served as a military observer in UNMISS from November 2018 to December 2019, where she was the focal point for gender-related issues concerning military observers.