Army officer from Bengaluru wins UN award for women-led peace initiative in South Sudan

Bengaluru: Major Swathi Shantha Kumar, a 31-year-old Bengalurean serving on the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), has won the UN Secretary-General’s Award 2025 for her project 'Equal Partners, Lasting Peace'. 

She was recognised for her strategic operations that created a secure environment for 5,000 women, allowing them to move freely and participate in local peace dialogues, the UN said. 

The award was announced by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Sunday. 

Major Swathi leads an Indian Engagement Team that has been instrumental in strengthening grassroots-level security and community confidence. 

Her project emerged as the winner in the ‘Gender Category’ following a competitive UN-wide voting process involving personnel globally. 

Under Major Swathi’s command, the Indian contingent conducted extensive short and long-distance patrols, including integrated riverine and dynamic air patrols, reaching some of the most remote and conflict-affected counties in South Sudan. By integrating female peacekeepers into frontline duties, the initiative set a new benchmark for gender parity in international missions. 

In his address, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres lauded the initiative for further strengthening the gender-inclusive approach of UNMISS. The project was shortlisted from a vast pool of nominations across various UN peacekeeping missions and agencies worldwide. 

Major Swathi's efforts have been hailed not just for providing physical security, but for building lasting community trust in a region long marred by instability. 

Her mother, Rajamani, a retired headmistress, expressed happiness that her daughter’s work is being recognised. 

"Swathi is the eldest of my three daughters and is very brave. In 2018, she finished her training at Officers' Training Academy (OTA), Chennai. For two years, she served as a lieutenant in Kalimpong, West Bengal. The next two years were spent as a captain in Karu village, in the Leh district of Ladakh, followed by one year in Gujarat before she went to Sudan," Rajamani told DH. 

Most of Swathi's education took place in Bengaluru, and the family resides in Lingarajapuram.