Indian Army Major Abhilasha Barak has been honoured with the 2025 United Nations Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award for her exemplary service in Lebanon with the UN Interim Force (UNIFIL). She is recognised for her outreach and community engagement with women and adolescent girls, and for conducting gender sensitisation training for peacekeepers.
Major Barak, India’s first woman combat helicopter pilot, served as Commander of the Female Engagement Team of the Indian Battalion in UNIFIL. Her leadership helped build trust between local communities and UN forces, advancing the principles of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security.
This recognition makes her the third Indian peacekeeper to receive the award, following Major Suman Gawani in 2019 and Major Radhika Sen in 2024. The award will be formally presented at the UN headquarters on May 29, 2026, during the International Day of UN Peacekeepers.
The Permanent Mission of India to the UN and the Embassy of India in Beirut congratulated Major Barak, calling her achievement a proud moment for India and a testament to the country’s commitment to gender equality in peacekeeping.
