Major Abhilasha Barak honoured with UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award 2025

Current Context: Indian Army officer Major Abhilasha Barak, India’s first woman combat helicopter pilot, was named recipient of the 2025 UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award on May 22–23, 2026.

• She currently serves with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) as Commander of the Female Engagement Team (FET) and Gender Focal Point in the Indian Battalion (Sector East).
• The award recognises her outreach with women/adolescent girls, integration of gender perspectives in peacekeeping, and gender sensitisation training for fellow peacekeepers.
• Her efforts advance the Women, Peace and Security agenda, promoting inclusivity and equality in conflict zones.
• The award ceremony is scheduled for June 5, 2026 at UN Headquarters, New York, during the International Day of UN Peacekeepers (May 29).
• This honour highlights India’s growing role in gender‑inclusive peacekeeping and global military leadership.

Question:

Q.1 Who was named the recipient of the UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award 2025?
a) Colonel Sophia Qureshi
b) Major Abhilasha Barak
c) Lieutenant General Madhuri Kanitkar
d) Major Radhika Sen

Answer: b) Major Abhilasha Barak, an Indian Army officer and India's first woman combat helicopter pilot, was selected for the prestigious UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award 2025.