Ghanaian peacekeeper selected as UN military gender advocate of 2022-Xinhua

Ghanaian peacekeeper selected as UN military gender advocate of 2022

Source: Xinhua

Editor: huaxia

2023-05-23 00:25:45

UNITED NATIONS, May 22 (Xinhua) -- A Ghanaian peacekeeper serving with the UN Interim Security Force in Abyei will receive the 2022 UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award, according to a press release posted on the UN website on Monday.

Captain Cecilia Erzuah, 32, who has served in Abyei since March 2022 as the commander of the Ghana engagement platoon, will receive the award from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres during a ceremony marking the International Day of UN Peacekeepers on May 25.

Created in 2016, the UN "Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award" recognizes the dedication and efforts of an individual military peacekeeper in promoting the principles of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security.

"Resolution 1325 reminds us that our women peacekeepers are not only supporting global peace and security. They are leading the way. By every measure, Captain Cecilia Erzuah of Ghana is one of those leaders," said the UN chief.

"On every front, Captain Erzuah's work has set the standard for ensuring that the needs and concerns of women are reflected across our peacekeeping operations," he added.

Erzuah is the first Ghanaian peacekeeper, and the first recipient from a contingent or a unit, to receive the award. Ghana is currently the largest contributor of women military peacekeepers to the United Nations with 375 now deployed, according to the release.