UNITED NATIONS, Aug 21: Pakistan Army\u2019s Major Sania Safdar, who is serving with the United Nations Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), became its first peacekeeper to receive the 2023 \u2018Certificate of Recognition\u2019 for advocating gender equality, according to the mission.<\/p>\n
The award, issued by the New York-based U.N. Department for Peace Operations, was presented to her by the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in Cyprus, Colin Stewart.<\/p>\n
\u201cReceiving this certificate as the first peacekeeper from UNFICYP is deeply meaningful to me and significant for our mission in Cyprus,\u201d Maj. Sania Safdar said. \u201cIt serves as a testament to our commitment to gender equality.\u201d<\/p>\n
Created in 2016, the United Nations \u201cMilitary Gender Advocate of the Year Award\u201d recognizes the dedication and efforts of an individual military peacekeeper in promoting the principles of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security (WPS). In addition to the award, the Department for Peace Operations also recognizes military personnel from other UN Missions who are contributing to advance the WPS\u2019 agenda in different countries where peacekeeping operations are in place.<\/p>\n
In Cyprus, Major Sana Safdar is currently serving as the Mission\u2019s Force Signal Officer and one of the UNFICYP\u2019s military gender focal points. Her primary tasks involve overseeing communication systems and promoting gender equality within military component.<\/p>\n
Since her deployment last year, she proactively took charge of several initiatives to contribute to achieve this recognition by focusing on integrating the Women, Peace, and Security Agenda into military components of the Mission\u2019s work, the mission said.<\/p>\n
As the Mission\u2019s Force Signal Officer serving in the Field Technology Section, she was also involved in strengthening the effectiveness of joint patrols by incorporating communication tools to enhance military operations on the ground while, promoting gender representation in military.<\/p>\n
Participation of women in peacekeeping missions brings diverse perspectives and skills that enhance operational effectiveness and foster inclusive approaches to conflict resolution, according to the mission. Their meaningful participation promotes gender equality within operations, contributing to more comprehensive and sustainable peace efforts.<\/p>\n
\u201cUNFICYP is on a steady curve to increase its statistics on the number of women in peacekeeping as well as promoting their participation while engaging with Member States to encourage further representation of uniformed women as critical actors in fulfilling the Mission\u2019s mandate.\u201d<\/p>\n
Major Sana Safdar\u2019s recognition award serves as a \u201ctestament to UNFICYP\u2019s commitment to gender equality\u201d, it added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
UNITED NATIONS, Aug 21: Pakistan Army\u2019s Major Sania Safdar, who is serving with the United Nations Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), became its first peacekeeper to receive the 2023 \u2018Certificate of Recognition\u2019 for advocating gender equality, according to the mission. The award, issued by the New […]<\/p>\n
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