Pakistani Pacifist Major Sania Safdar received the UN Gender Equality Award for her efforts and becoming the first peacekeeper from the United Nations mission in Cyprus (UNFICYP).
The prestigious award, issued by the UN Department for Peace Operations in New York, was presented to Major Sania Safdar by Colin Stewart, the UN Secretary General’s Special Representative in Cyprus, as announced by the mission.
Major Sania Safdar expressed her gratitude, stating, “Receiving this certificate as the first Pacifist from UNFICYP is deeply meaningful to me and significant for our mission in Cyprus. It serves as a testament to our commitment to gender equality.”
Established in 2016, the UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award honors the dedication of military peacekeepers who champion the principles of UN Security Council Resolution 1325. Major Sania Safdar’s role involves overseeing communication systems and actively promoting gender equality within the military component. Since her deployment last year, she has spearheaded several initiatives, contributing to this recognition by focusing on the integration of women into the mission’s operations.