Ghanaian peacekeeper receives UN gender award winner

A Ghanaian peacekeeper serving in the disputed Sudan-South Sudan border region of Abyei has won a UN award for championing the rights of women.

Captain Cecilia Erzuah, 32, will receive the 2022 UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year award from UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Thursday.

“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,” said Mr Guterres in a statement.

Created in 2016, the United Nations “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.

Captain Erzuah has served in Abyei since March 2022 as the commander of the Ghana engagement platoon

Ghana is currently the largest contributor of women peacekeepers in the UN with 375 now deployed.

Source: BBC