Major Barak serves as the Commander of the Female Engagement Team (FET) within the Indian Battalion of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). She is being honored for her extensive community engagement initiatives targeting women and adolescent girls, as well as her efforts in conducting gender-sensitization training for fellow peacekeepers. Notably, Major Barak also holds the distinction of being the first woman combat helicopter pilot in the Indian Army.With this announcement, Major Barak becomes the third Indian peacekeeper to receive the global honor since its inception. Previous Indian recipients include Major Suman Gawani, who was awarded in 2019 for her deployment with the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), and Major Radhika Sen, who received the 2023 award for her service with the UN Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO).
The UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award was created in 2016 by the Office of Military Affairs under the UN Department of Peace Operations. It honors military peacekeepers who demonstrate outstanding commitment to the principles of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace, and Security, which advocates for the protection of women in conflict zones and the expansion of the role of women in uniformed UN operations.Major Barak will be officially honored at the United Nations Headquarters during the upcoming commemorations for the International Day of UN Peacekeepers on May 29. India remains one of the largest troop-contributing nations to global United Nations peacekeeping operations, with hundreds of personnel currently stationed in Lebanon and other volatile sectors worldwide.
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