Major Radhika Sen, an Indian peacekeeper deployed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), has received the 2023 United Nations Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award.

Major Sen worked in the DRC from March 2023 through April 2024, where she amplified women’s voices, created safe spaces for men and women to work together, and promoted gender-sensitive peacekeeping. 

She will receive her award from UN Secretary-General António Guterres during a ceremony on Thursday; she is the second Indian peacekeeper to receive the award. 

The peacekeeper spoke to UN News’s Sachin Gaur to discuss her reaction to being honoured for her efforts, some of the initiatives that led to her recognition, and the importance of women’s participation in peacekeeping.