NEW DELHI: Peacekeeping is “not a solitary or routine job,” but requires creativity and inclusion to make a real difference, says Indian Army officer Major Swathi Shanthakumar, who has been recognized by the United Nations for her work tackling gender-based violence in Malakal, South Sudan.
She led the all-female military engagement team in Malakal for 18 months, as part of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan.
On the occasion of International Women’s Day, Major Swathi, reacting to PTI videos, shared her experience of being part of a peacekeeping operation in conflict-torn South Sudan.
She described how her team’s work under the Equal Partners, Lasting Peace initiative helped build trust, create safer spaces and address critical issues faced by local women.
“As trust grew, women began to share deeper issues, including conflict-related sexual violence that affects women, men and even children,” the army officer said. “We have reported these matters to the Child Protection Unit and Gender Cell for follow-up assistance.”
She added that in order to maintain safe communication, the team distributed protection contact cards with emergency numbers and created a WhatsApp group to connect women village leaders directly with peacekeepers.
Major Swathi said designated safe spaces were also provided for women to gather, discuss concerns and seek support.
South Sudan is home to one of the largest UN peacekeeping operations, the UN Mission in South Sudan, which has a strength of about 20,000 staff – military, police and civilians – from about 75 countries, according to the UN website.
She added that countries such as Rwanda, India, Nepal and Bangladesh provide the largest number of forces to assist South Sudan in the fragile transitional phase of the deep and complex legacy of war.
Major Swathi from Bengaluru, who has been serving in the Indian Army since 2018 and belongs to the Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers, believes that empowering women in conflict-affected areas directly strengthens the broader society and contributes to sustainable peace.
She recently won the 2025 UN Secretary-General’s Award in the Gender category for the contributions she made during her peacekeeping deployment in South Sudan.
“This award will motivate other peacekeepers to adopt innovative approaches,” she said.
“Peacekeeping is not a solitary or routine job. It requires creativity and inclusion to make a real difference,” said Major Swathi.
During her 18-month deployment, she demonstrated that leadership is not just about leadership, but also about fostering communication.
“Empowering women means empowering the entire community in the conflict zone,” Major Swathi said.
“When women feel safe and economically independent, they become a voice for stability and dialogue in their families and villages.”
She explained that the essence of the participation project revolved around the principle of “monitoring, participating and reporting.”
She said that upon arriving in the mission area in South Sudan, where female peacekeepers are rarely seen on operational missions, her team began regular patrols that included foot patrols, river and air patrols, and direct interactions with local women.
The team faced challenges such as community hesitation towards UN staff, and language barriers, regarding Arabic and local dialects.
These issues were addressed through constant communication to build trust, deploying alongside their battalion to enhance operational strength, and using language assistants, translation apps, and pre-translated question sets to record accurate answers, she said.
Major Swathi said that the initiative reached a larger number of women through self-empowerment camps that offer sewing and embroidery lessons, which enabled many to achieve economic independence and gain confidence.
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