BJP MP Anurag Thakur on Sunday, June 7, 2026, congratulated Major Abhilasha Barak on receiving the UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award, calling her a 'shining embodiment of Nari Shakti' and a source of inspiration for millions of young Indians aspiring to serve in the armed forces.

Context

Major Abhilasha Barak is serving as an Engagement Team Commander and Gender Focal Point with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), a peacekeeping mission that has operated in southern Lebanon since 1978. The UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award is an annual recognition given to military personnel who have made outstanding contributions to advancing women's roles and gender perspectives within UN peacekeeping operations. Thakur noted her 'commendable efforts to advance women's roles and perspectives in peacekeeping.'

Beyond her current UN deployment, Major Barak holds the historic distinction of being India's first woman combat helicopter pilot, a milestone achieved within the Indian Army Aviation Corps. Her recognition on an international platform underscores the growing visibility of Indian women officers in both domestic combat streams and multilateral peacekeeping frameworks.

Policy Backdrop

In 2015, the Government of India announced the phased opening of combat roles — including aviation — to women officers across the armed forces. This policy shift enabled women to qualify as combat helicopter pilots in the Army Aviation Corps for the first time, with Major Barak emerging as a trailblazer from that cohort. The move was framed officially under the Nari Shakti (women's empowerment) agenda, a term Thakur explicitly invoked in his post.

India has contributed over 2,00,000 troops to UN peacekeeping operations since 1950, making it one of the largest cumulative troop-contributing nations. Alongside troop deployments, India has endorsed the UN's Women, Peace and Security agenda, including the deployment of gender advisers and focal points — roles that Major Barak currently fulfils in UNIFIL.

Stakeholders and Impact

The award carries significance beyond the individual recipient. Women officers and female cadets across India's armed forces — a community that has grown steadily since combat and aviation streams opened — gain a high-profile role model in an international arena. For aspirants at institutions such as the National Defence Academy, which began admitting women after a Supreme Court order, Major Barak's recognition reinforces the viability of careers spanning both frontline service and global peacekeeping.

Thakur's public congratulations also signal continued political endorsement of women's participation in defence, a theme successive administrations have championed as part of broader gender-equity commitments. His framing — linking Major Barak's achievement to girls who 'aspire to serve the nation and humanity' — positions the award within a domestic inspiration narrative as much as a foreign-policy one.

What's Next

Attention will now turn to the next cohort announcements for women in combat and aviation streams, as the armed forces continue phased implementation of the 2015 policy. India's stance at the UN General Assembly's peacekeeping segment is also expected to highlight gender-mainstreaming milestones, with achievements like Major Barak's award providing concrete evidence of progress. Her deployment in UNIFIL and the recognition she has earned may also strengthen India's case for leadership roles in future UN peacekeeping command structures.