United Nations: Major Radhika Sen, an Indian woman peacekeeper, who served with the UN mission in Congo, will be honoured with a prestigious military gender advocate award, with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres describing her as a "true leader and role model." Major Sen, who served with the United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), will receive the prestigious '2023 United Nations Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award' from Guterres during a ceremony at the world body's headquarters here on May 30 marking the International Day of UN Peacekeepers. She served in the East of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) from March 2023 to April 2024 as the Commander of MONUSCO's Engagement Platoon for the Indian Rapid Deployment Battalion (INDRDB), a UN press release said.
About Major Radhika Sen Born in Himachal Pradesh in 1993, she joined the Indian Army eight years ago. She graduated as a biotech engineer and was pursuing her Master's degree from IIT Bombay when she decided to join the armed forces. She was deployed to MONUSCO in March 2023 as the Engagement Platoon Commander with the Indian Rapid Deployment Battalion and completed her tenure in April 2024.
Major Sen is the second Indian peacekeeper to receive this prestigious award after Major Suman Gawani, who had served with the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and was honoured with the 2019 United Nations Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award. UN Sec.
