Islamabad, Aug 21: According to the mission, Major Sania Safdar of the Pakistan Army is serving with the United Nations Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) and is the first peacekeeper from that force to be awarded the 2023 “Certificate of Recognition” for her advocacy of gender equality.
Colin Stewart, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative in Cyprus, gave her the prize, which is given out by the U.N. Department for Peace Operations in New York. “It means a lot to me and is important for our mission in Cyprus that I am the first peacekeeper from UNFICYP to receive this certificate,” Maj. Sania Safdar stated. “It demonstrates our dedication to promoting gender equality.”
The UN “Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award,” which was established in 2016, honors a single military peacekeeper for their commitment to upholding the values of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace, and Security (WPS). The Department for Peace Operations honors military troops from other UN Missions who are advancing the WPS agenda in various nations where peacekeeping operations are conducted in addition to awarding them.
Currently stationed in Cyprus, Major Sana Safdar is one of UNFICYP’s military gender focal points and the mission’s force signal officer. Supervising the communication systems and advocating for gender parity in the military are her main responsibilities.
She has proactively taken control of multiple initiatives since her deployment last year, according to the mission, with the goal of integrating the Women, Peace, and Security Agenda into the military aspects of the mission’s operations. This has helped her acquire recognition.
She was also active in enhancing the efficacy of joint patrols by utilizing communication tools to improve military operations on the field and encouraging woman representation in the military while working as the Mission’s Force Signal Officer in the Field Technology Section.
According to the mission, women’s participation in peacekeeping missions contributes a variety of viewpoints and talents that improve operational effectiveness and promote inclusive approaches to conflict resolution. Their significant involvement fosters gender parity in operations, supporting more all-encompassing and long-lasting peace initiatives.
“UNFICYP is working with Member States to promote increased representation of women in uniform as essential players in carrying out the Mission’s mandate, and it is steadily increasing its statistics on the number of women in peacekeeping as well as encouraging their participation.”
It further stated that Major Sana Safdar’s commendation award is a “testament to UNFICYP’s commitment to gender equality.”
