Major Swathi Shantha Kumar, an Indian Army officer from Bengaluru serving with UNMISS in South Sudan, won the UN Secretary-General’s Award 2025 for her leadership in promoting gender-inclusive peacekeeping and community engagement.
Major Swathi Shantha Kumar, an Indian Army officer from Bengaluru currently deployed with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), has received the United Nations Secretary-General’s Award 2025 for her exceptional contribution to advancing gender-inclusive peacekeeping. The honour places her among a distinguished group of international peacekeepers whose initiatives have significantly strengthened gender parity and community participation in conflict-affected regions.
The award was announced by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, who commended Major Swathi’s pioneering project, “Equal Partners, Lasting Peace”, for reinforcing UNMISS’s gender-responsive operational approach.
Global Recognition For Gender-Responsive Leadership
The Secretary-General’s Awards recognise initiatives that align with the UN’s commitment to promoting gender equality and inclusive peacekeeping practices. Major Swathi’s project was shortlisted from nominations submitted by UN peacekeeping missions and agencies across the world, highlighting its wide-ranging impact and relevance.
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Her initiative emerged as the winner in the Gender Category, securing the highest number of votes among four shortlisted finalists. The selection followed a UN-wide voting process involving personnel from missions globally, reflecting strong institutional endorsement of her work.
Strengthening UNMISS Through Inclusive Deployment
Through her leadership, Major Swathi played a crucial role in improving gender parity by ensuring the effective deployment and integration of the Indian Engagement Team within UNMISS. This strategy enhanced grassroots-level engagement across the mission’s area of responsibility, particularly in remote and underserved regions.
She ensured that gender perspectives were seamlessly incorporated into routine operations, making peacekeeping efforts more inclusive, responsive, and community-oriented.
Extensive Operations In Difficult Terrain
Under her initiative and command, the Indian Engagement Team undertook a wide spectrum of operations, including short- and long-range patrols, integrated riverine patrols, and dynamic air patrols to isolated and inaccessible counties across South Sudan.
These sustained efforts strengthened security outreach and ensured a consistent UN presence in areas affected by conflict and instability.
Empowering Women And Building Community Confidence
As a direct outcome of these initiatives, a safer and more enabling environment was created for over 5,000 women, allowing them to participate meaningfully in community activities and local decision-making processes.
The project also helped foster trust and confidence among local communities, significantly improving UNMISS’s engagement and outreach in conflict-affected areas.
Setting A Model For Future Peacekeeping Missions
The United Nations noted that the team’s sustained commitment under Major Swathi’s leadership has set a strong example for future peacekeeping missions. Her work illustrates how gender-inclusive leadership and operational planning can contribute to lasting peace, stability, and resilience in fragile regions.
Major Swathi Shantha Kumar’s achievement underscores India’s growing role in global peacekeeping and highlights the transformative impact of inclusive leadership in international missions.
