Major Sania Safdar of the Pakistan Army has become the first UN peacekeeper in Cyprus to receive the 2023 ‘Certificate of Recognition’ for her efforts in promoting gender equality. Major Safdar currently serves as the mission’s force signal officer.
The award was presented by Colin Stewart, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy in Cyprus, and was issued by the UN Department for Peace Operations in New York.
In a statement, Safdar expressed her pride in receiving the recognition, saying, “It means a lot to me and is important for our mission in Cyprus that I am the first peacekeeper from UNFICYP to receive this certificate. It demonstrates our dedication to promoting gender equality.”
The “UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award,” established in 2016, honors military peacekeepers who uphold the principles of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace, and Security (WPS).
In her role in Cyprus, Major Safdar’s responsibilities include managing communication systems and advancing gender equality within the military sector. Since her deployment last year, she has led several initiatives aimed at integrating the Women, Peace, and Security Agenda into the military aspects of the mission’s work, as highlighted by UNFICYP.
