Indian Army officer wins UN award for gender-inclusive peacekeeping

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, January 12, 2026: Major Swathi Shantha Kumar, an Indian Army officer from Bengaluru currently serving with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), has been awarded the prestigious UN Secretary-General’s Award 2025 for her contribution to gender-inclusive peacekeeping.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced the winners of the Secretary-General’s Awards–2025 and praised Major Swathi’s project, titled “Equal Partners, Lasting Peace,” for strengthening UNMISS’s gender-inclusive approach. The award recognises initiatives that promote gender parity and gender-responsive peacekeeping in line with the UN’s mandate.

Major Swathi’s project was shortlisted from nominations received across all UN peacekeeping missions and UN agencies worldwide. It emerged as the winner in the Gender Category, securing the highest number of votes among four finalists through a UN-wide voting process involving UN personnel globally.

Through her leadership, Major Swathi played a key role in improving gender parity by effectively deploying and integrating the Indian Engagement Team. This helped strengthen grassroots-level engagement across the mission’s area of responsibility.

Under her initiative and command, the team carried out a wide range of operations, including short- and long-distance patrols, integrated riverine patrols, and dynamic air patrols to remote and far-flung counties of the host nation.

These sustained efforts created a safer and more supportive environment for over 5,000 women, enabling them to take part meaningfully in community activities. The initiative also helped build trust and confidence at the local level, improving outreach in conflict-affected regions of South Sudan.

The United Nations noted that the team’s consistent commitment has set a strong example for future peacekeeping missions, showing how gender-inclusive leadership can contribute to lasting peace and stability in fragile regions.