Delhi: Major Swathi Shantha Kumar, an Indian Army officer deployed with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), has been awarded the UN Secretary-General’s Award 2025 for her groundbreaking project, “Equal Partners, Lasting Peace.”
This prestigious award recognizes her efforts to enhance gender parity and promote gender-responsive peacekeeping, setting a benchmark for women’s participation in international missions.
Pioneering Gender-Inclusive Peacekeeping
Major Swathi led a 20-women engagement team as the Platoon Commander in UNMISS, marking the first deployment of a women’s peacekeeping team in South Sudan. Her project emphasized:
- Conducting gender-inclusive patrols alongside male soldiers
- Encouraging women’s participation in operational activities
- Engaging communities to address concerns of women and children
- Organizing awareness camps against conflict-related sexual violence
- Sharing protection contact cards and identifying critical patrol areas
Her initiative demonstrated that the active involvement of women soldiers is crucial to effective peacekeeping and community trust-building in conflict zones.
Project Impact and Community Engagement
According to Major Swathi, initial community engagement faced hesitation, particularly from women and children. Continuous interaction helped build trust and encouraged open communication, enabling the team to identify priority areas for patrols and protection measures.
The project has become a model for gender-responsive peacekeeping, showing how women soldiers can enhance both operational effectiveness and grassroots-level engagement in conflict-affected regions.
Academic and Professional Background
- Batch: 2012–2016
- Department: Electrical & Electronics Engineering
- Organization: Indian Army
- Designation: Major
Major Swathi is an alumna of New Horizon College of Engineering, which congratulated her on this internationally recognized achievement, noting that her work brings pride to the institution and inspires both students and alumni.
A Landmark Achievement in Gender Equality
The UN Secretary-General’s Award highlights Major Swathi’s leadership in integrating women into peacekeeping missions, promoting gender equality, and strengthening operational effectiveness in UN deployments.
Her success underscores India’s growing role in gender-inclusive international peacekeeping and reinforces the importance of women soldiers in promoting lasting peace in conflict zones.
