An Indian Army officer from Bengaluru, Major Swathi Shantha Kumar, has won the United Nations Secretary-General’s Award 2025 for her project “Equal Partners, Lasting Peace,” earning global recognition for her work in gender-inclusive peacekeeping while serving with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
The award was announced by UN Secretary-General António Guterres as part of the Secretary-General’s Awards 2025. Major Swathi emerged as the global winner in the Gender Category after a UN-wide voting process involving personnel from peacekeeping missions and UN agencies across the world. Her initiative was recognised for advancing gender parity and promoting gender-responsive peacekeeping in line with the UN mandate.
According to the United Nations, her work significantly strengthened grassroots engagement and improved the integration of women in operational peacekeeping roles, setting an example for other missions.
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Who is Major Swathi Shantha Kumar?
Major Swathi Shantha Kumar hails from Bengaluru and is the eldest of three daughters. She completed her schooling in the city and later graduated from New Horizon College of Engineering before being commissioned into the Indian Army. She is an officer of the Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers (EME).
Currently serving with UNMISS, Major Swathi has been deployed in South Sudan for nearly 15 months as part of the Indian Army contingent. Her father, R. Shantha Kumar, described the award as a proud moment for the family and a recognition of her discipline and dedication, while also acknowledging the challenges of serving in difficult and demanding conditions. She is expected to return to India soon and will be posted in Secunderabad.
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Equal Partners, Lasting Peace and field operations
Major Swathi’s award-winning project focused on integrating gender perspectives into daily peacekeeping operations rather than limiting them to policy discussions. Under her initiative and command, the Indian Engagement Team successfully carried out short- and long-distance ground patrols, integrated river patrols, and dynamic air patrols to remote and far-flung counties of South Sudan.
These operations helped improve security and freedom of movement in conflict-affected areas. The United Nations noted that the sustained presence of her team enabled stronger trust between peacekeepers and local communities. A key outcome was increased participation of women at the grassroots level, with more than 5,000 women able to move more freely and take part in community engagement activities.
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The UN has cited Major Swathi’s work as a model for integrating gender inclusion into operational planning, highlighting India’s continued contribution to global peacekeeping efforts.
