Major Sania Safdar of the Pakistan Army has distinguished herself as the first UN peacekeeper in Cyprus to receive the 2023 ‘Certificate of Recognition’ for her efforts in promoting gender equality.
Serving as the Mission’s Force Signal Officer with the United Nations Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), she was awarded by Colin Stewart, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in Cyprus.
In a statement, Major Safdar expressed that being the first recipient of this honor from UNFICYP is profoundly meaningful and highlights the Pakistan Army’s contributions to Cyprus.
Established in 2016, the “UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award” honors the commitment and contributions of a military peacekeeper in advancing the principles of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace, and Security (WPS).
In Cyprus, Major Sania Safdar is responsible for managing communication systems and advancing gender equality within the military component of the mission. Since her deployment last year, she has led various initiatives aimed at incorporating the Women, Peace, and Security Agenda into the mission’s military operations, according to UNFICYP.
UNFICYP stated that, as the Mission’s Force Signal Officer in the Field Technology Section, Major Sania Safdar played a key role in enhancing joint patrols by integrating communication tools, thus improving military operations and advancing gender representation within the force.
Since 1960, Pakistan has been a major contributor to UN peace operations, deploying over 200,000 personnel to 46 missions. The country currently provides more than 4,000 troops for various UN operations and has lost 172 soldiers in peacekeeping missions.