Major Abhilasha Barak wins UN Military Gender Advocate Award; Modi hails 'exemplary service'
Synopsis
India's first woman combat helicopter pilot, Major Abhilasha Barak, has won the UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award while serving in Lebanon's most dangerous peacekeeping zone. She is only the third Indian woman officer to receive this honour — and PM Modi's public tribute has amplified her story to millions.
Key Takeaways
Major Abhilasha Barak has been conferred the UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award for promoting women's roles in peacekeeping.
She is India's first woman combat helicopter pilot and serves as Engagement Team Commander and Gender Focal Point in UNIFIL , Lebanon.
PM Modi congratulated her on 7 June via a post on X, calling her achievement 'an inspiration to countless young Indians.' UN Secretary-General António Guterres presented the award, calling her 'a role model to those you serve, and those you serve with.' She is the third Indian woman officer to win this award, after Major Suman Gawani and Major Radhika Sen .
UNIFIL is currently the most dangerous UN peacekeeping mission; seven peacekeepers have been killed since March .
Major Abhilasha Barak, India's first woman combat helicopter pilot, has been conferred the UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award for her work promoting women's roles and perspectives in peacekeeping operations. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, 7 June congratulated her, calling the honour a recognition of her 'exemplary service' and an inspiration for young Indians aspiring to serve the nation.
PM Modi's Tribute
In a post on X, Modi noted that Major Barak is serving as an Engagement Team Commander and Gender Focal Point within the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). 'This honour is a recognition of her exemplary service and also of India's longstanding contribution to United Nations peacekeeping efforts. Her achievement is also an inspiration to countless young Indians, especially our daughters, who aspire to serve the nation and humanity,' he wrote.
The Award and What She Said
UN Secretary-General António Guterres presented the award, describing Major Barak as 'a role model to those you serve, and those you serve with.' Accepting the honour, Major Barak said: 'Dreams do not have a gender, and neither does leadership, courage, or the will to serve humanity.' She added that the award is a reminder that lasting peace can only be built when every voice is heard and every individual is empowered.
Her Work on the Ground
According to Guterres, Major Barak built trust with local communities in Lebanon and helped develop early-warning networks that strengthen the mission's ability to protect civilians. 'As a frontline commander, she has engaged thousands of women and girls through vocational training and programmes for education and health,' he said, adding that she is transforming lives even under the most challenging circumstances. Assistant Secretary-General Lisa Buttenheim noted that her 'leadership and innovation have advanced the women, peace, and security agenda across military operations.'
A Historic Milestone for India
Major Barak is the third Indian woman officer to receive this award, following Major Suman Gawani and Major Radhika Sen. As India's first woman combat helicopter pilot, she said firsthand experience showed her 'how opportunity enables women to break barriers and reach milestones.' Her deployment is at UNIFIL, currently the most dangerous UN peacekeeping site, where fighting between Israel and Hezbollah continues to claim peacekeepers' lives — a seventh peacekeeper was killed on the Wednesday preceding the award ceremony.
Context: UNIFIL's Dangerous Terrain
UNIFIL is deployed along the Israel-Lebanon border, an active conflict zone. The mission has seen seven peacekeepers killed since March, underscoring the scale of risk that Major Barak and her colleagues face daily. This recognition arrives at a moment when India's contribution to UN peacekeeping — one of the largest among troop-contributing nations — is under renewed global attention.
Point of View
Presented amid live hostilities, gives this story a weight that routine diplomatic honours rarely carry. What mainstream coverage tends to underplay is that Barak is the third such Indian woman honoured — a pattern that reflects deliberate institutional effort by the Indian Army, not isolated individual achievement.
NationPress
11 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award?
It is an annual United Nations award recognising a military peacekeeper who has made an outstanding contribution to promoting the role and perspectives of women in a peacekeeping mission. Major Abhilasha Barak received the award for her work in UNIFIL, Lebanon.
Who is Major Abhilasha Barak?
Major Abhilasha Barak is India's first woman combat helicopter pilot and currently serves as Engagement Team Commander and Gender Focal Point in the Indian Battalion deployed with UNIFIL in Lebanon. She is the third Indian woman officer to win the UN Military Gender Advocate Award.
What did PM Modi say about Major Abhilasha Barak's award?
PM Modi congratulated Major Barak in a post on X on 7 June, calling the honour a recognition of her 'exemplary service' and India's contribution to UN peacekeeping. He said her achievement is 'an inspiration to countless young Indians, especially our daughters.'
Why is UNIFIL considered the most dangerous UN peacekeeping mission?
UNIFIL is deployed along the Israel-Lebanon border, where active fighting between Israel and Hezbollah has continued. Seven peacekeepers with the mission have been killed since March, making it the riskiest UN peacekeeping operation currently active.
Which other Indian women officers have won this UN award before Major Barak?
Major Suman Gawani and Major Radhika Sen are the two Indian women officers who previously received the UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award. Major Barak is the third, continuing a record of recognition for India's women peacekeepers.
