Major Abhilasha Barak of the Indian Army has been named the 2025 UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year. She is the first woman combat pilot of the Indian Army and serves in the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
United Nations in India honoured Major Abhilasha Barak, the recipient of 2025 Military Gender Advocate of the Year on International Day of UN Peacekeepers on Friday. Major Barak serves in the UN Interim Force in Lebanon.
UN in India in a post on X said, "Major Abhilasha Barak of India has been named the 2025 Military Gender Advocate of the Year in recognition of her outstanding leadership in promoting gender-responsive peacekeeping. Major Barak serves in the UN Interim Force in Lebanon and is the first woman combat helicopter pilot of the Indian Army. As a frontline commander, she has led extensive outreach efforts, engaging over 5000 women and girls through vocational training, education and health programmes that support empowerment and postconflict recovery. On this International Day of UN Peacekeepers, we honour her service." Major Abhilasha Barak of #India has been named the 2025 Military Gender Advocate of the Year in recognition of her outstanding leadership in promoting gender-responsive peacekeeping. Major Barak serves in the UN Interim Force in Lebanon @UNIFIL_ and is the first woman combat… pic.twitter.com/Zypludw2p3 — United Nations in India (@UNinIndia) May 29, 2026
India at UN, Embassy in Beirut Extend Greetings
Major Barak is recognized for her outreach and community engagement activities for women and adolescent girls and gender sensitization training for peacekeepers. In a post on X, the permanent mission said, "Proud to announce that Major Abhilasha Barak has been awarded the 2025 UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award. She is serving with the Indian Battalion as the Commander of the Female Engagement Team (FET) in UNIFIL. Major Abhilasha is also first woman combat helicopter pilot of the Indian Army. She is being recognized for her outreach and community engagement activities for women and adolescent girls and gender sensitization training for peacekeepers. She is the third recipient of the award from India, after Major Suman Gawani (2019) and Major Radhika Sen (2024)." #IndiaAtUN Proud to announce that Major Abhilasha Barak has been awarded the 2025 @UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award. She is serving with the Indian Battalion as the Commander of the Female Engagement Team (FET) in #UNIFIL. Major Abhilasha is also first woman combat… pic.twitter.com/FcAW3OFZul — India at UN, NY (@IndiaUNNewYork) May 22, 2026
The Embassy of India in Beirut also extended greetings on the occasion. In a post on X, the embassy said, "The Embassy extends heartiest congratulations to Major Abhilasha Barak on being honored with the prestigious UN Gender Advocate of the Year Award 2025 by the United Nations. Major Barak served with distinction as the Female Engagement Team (FET) Commander of INDBATT-XXVI." The Embassy extends heartiest congratulations to Major Abhilasha Barak on being honored with the prestigious UN Gender Advocate of the Year Award 2025 by the United Nations. Major Barak served with distinction as the Female Engagement Team (FET) Commander of INDBATT-XXVI. pic.twitter.com/3iTH91bRcp — India in Lebanon (Embassy of India, Beirut) (@IndiaInLebanon) May 22, 2026
About the UN Military Gender Advocate Award
The UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award is presented annually since 2016 to a military peacekeeper - male or female - who has shown outstanding commitment and leadership in promoting the principles of UN Security Council Resolution Resolution 1325. The resolution calls on actors to mainstream a gender perspective in all aspects of peacekeeping and peacebuilding and to ensure women's participation in peace and political processes. The Resolution also calls for the protection from, and prevention of, conflict-related sexual violence and for an expansion of the role and contribution of women in UN operations, including of uniformed women peacekeepers. (ANI)
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