 "Radhika Sen, Radhika")
Major Radhika Sen of India was honoured with the prestigious 2023 United Nations Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award during a ceremony at the UN headquarters on the International Day of UN Peacekeepers. The award was presented by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who praised Major Sen as a true leader and role model, highlighting her service as a significant contribution to the United Nations.
Major Sen is the second Indian peacekeeper to receive this award, following Major Suman Gawani in 2019.
“Major Sen is a true leader and role model. Her service is a true credit to the United Nations as a whole. Please join me in congratulating Major Radhika Sen of India. I could not be prouder to confer her with the Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award,” Guterres has said, as he conferred the award.
In her acceptance speech, Major Sen expressed her humility in receiving the award on behalf of her colleagues in MONUSCO and India. She emphasised the importance of gender-sensitive peacekeeping and called for a future where peacekeepers of all genders are recognized for their contributions.
“Gender-sensitive peacekeeping is everyone’s business, not just us, the women. Peace begins with all of us in our beautiful diversity,” Sen said.
Background
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Born in Himachal Pradesh in 1993, Major Sen joined the Indian Army eight years ago, leaving her Master's degree in biotech engineering at IIT Bombay to serve her country.
Service in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)
Major Sen served with the United Nations Organization Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) from March 2023 to April 2024. As the Commander of MONUSCO's Engagement Platoon for the Indian Rapid Deployment Battalion (INDRDB), she led her unit through numerous patrols in the conflict-ridden North Kivu region, engaging with communities and earning the trust of women and girls affected by the conflict.
Commitment to women, peace, and security
Throughout her deployment, Major Sen served as a gender focal point and took on civil-military tasks, including providing vocational training for women and youth. She also acted as her battalion's focal point for preventing sexual exploitation and abuse. Her efforts were recognized for creating a safe and welcoming environment for women to voice their concerns, thereby enabling the mission to respond better to their needs.
Sen's contributions were lauded by Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix and India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj. Both highlighted her dedication to protecting civilians and promoting gender equality.
On this occasion, 64 military, police, and civilian peacekeepers were posthumously honoured with the Dag Hammarskjöld Medals. Among them was Naik Dhananjay Kumar Singh, who served with MONUSCO and was honored for his sacrifice.
India’s role in UN peacekeeping
India is currently the 11th largest contributor of women military peacekeepers to the UN, with 124 deployed. The country has a long-standing tradition of significant contributions to UN peacekeeping missions, deploying over 6,000 military and police personnel to various UN operations worldwide.
India remains one of the largest contributors of uniformed personnel to UN peacekeeping missions, with nearly 180 Indian peacekeepers having made the supreme sacrifice, the highest number from any troop-contributing country.
(With agency inputs)
