UN Award Winner Major Swati talks about women-empowerment

At a time when women are increasingly shaping leadership roles across global institutions, Major Swathi Shanthakumar’s journey stands as a powerful example of courage, service and determination. The 31-year-old Indian Army officer from Bengaluru, who recently returned to India after serving with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), has been awarded the UN Secretary-General’s Award 2025 in the Gender Category for advancing women-led community engagement in conflict-affected regions.
Her initiative, “Equal Partners, Lasting Peace,” strengthened gender-responsive peacekeeping and helped bridge the gap between UN peacekeepers and local communities in and around Malakal. Leading India’s first all-woman military engagement team deployed to UNMISS, Major Swathi and her unit carried out ground, river and air patrols to reach remote areas, engaging directly with more than 5,000 women and building trust in communities where female peacekeepers were rarely seen.The project emerged as the top choice through a UN-wide voting process involving peacekeeping personnel globally, highlighting the growing importance of women’s participation in peace operations.Major Swathi, who completed her schooling at St Charles High School in Bengaluru, pursued pre-university studies at Christ College before earning an engineering degree in Electrical and Electronics from New Horizon College of Engineering. After briefly working in the corporate sector, she chose a different path of service and cleared the Services Selection Board examination.
She subsequently underwent military training at the Officers Training Academy (OTA) and was commissioned into the Indian Army’s Corps of Electronics & Mechanical Engineers. During her deployment with UNMISS, she played a pivotal role in strengthening community outreach efforts in conflict-affected regions of South Sudan.

#UN award winner Indian Army Major Swathi Shanthakumar interacts with locals in South Sudan. She was honoured with the UN Secretary-General’s Award 2025 for her exemplary work. pic.twitter.com/g5yqTWir0q

— newsinc24 (@newsinc24) March 7, 2026

Responding to questions from Newsinc24 Assistant Editor Ira Singh, Major Swathi spoke about her journey from an engineering student to an Indian Army officer, the challenges of serving in a conflict zone, and the evolving role of women peacekeepers in global missions.
Excerpts from the interaction…
Q: Tell me a little bit about yourself, regarding your background, What inspired you to choose Defence(Army) your career, your ultimate goal, family life. When did you join service duty especially abroad. 
I grew up in Bangalore as a curious and friendly child. I actively participated in sports, cultural activities and school events, which taught me teamwork, discipline and confidence. My family played a huge role in shaping my early life. They always supported my choices and encouraged me to be independent, brave and open to the world. During college, I learned about opportunities to join the Indian Army through friends. As I explored further, I felt a strong sense of purpose, an idea that I could serve the nation and give back to the society. The idea of serving the nation through an institution built on honour and discipline deeply resonated with me.I was honoured to be selected for the UN mission in South Sudan in 2024, to represent Indian Army and my country on an international platform.
Q: We see your success stories but please mention the challenge, hard times that you faced and how you overcome with it.
I was not very active in physical activities during my school and college. During the preparation for the SSB interview I was certain that it is difficult to get through the process without knowing the entire sequence of events. However, I was quite motivated and trusted in my abilities and worked hard to get through the interview, which I did. But after joining the Army I developed an increased motivation for physical activities, especially running and cycling. So, it is essential for anyone to fix their goals and work towards fulfilling it.

Q: Major Swathi, welcome back to India. After serving in a challenging UN mission and receiving the Secretary-General’s Award, what does this moment of returning home mean to you personally? and what emotions are you carrying with you as you step back onto Indian soil.
I felt deeply honoured and grateful for this award. The recognition is not mine alone - it belongs to my team. Being a small unit and the first of its kind in UNMISS, our work having such an impact to be recognised by the top diplomat, the UN Secretary General was truly humbling. We went there determined to make our country and the Indian Army proud. I am happy that our team could live up to the expectations of the Indian Army and now we are back with much motivation and gratitude.

Q: What inspired you to develop and lead the ‘Equal Partners, Lasting Peace’ initiative — and what were the biggest challenges and breakthroughs you experienced while implementing it on the ground in South Sudan?
The concept of “Equal Partners, Lasting Peace” that we presented was our actions in the mission. When we reached for the mission, we found that to interact effectively with the host community we needed to do three core tasks- observe, engage and report. Only then could we successfully complete the mission mandate. So, we set out on gender neutral operations and conducted 110 Short and Long-distance patrols, 67 Integrated Riverine Patrol and 53 Dynamic Air Patrols. Through joint patrols, outreach activities and medical and livelihood support camps, the team successfully engaged with over 5,000 women, enabling greater accessibility, trust and information sharing. Operationally we were well trained to conduct our activities in the host country. The only challenges we faced was inhibitions of community and language barrier, which we overcame with the passage of time. The trust that we developed made our task easy and we could serve the local populace better.

Q: How do you see the role of women peacekeepers evolving in future United Nations missions and what message would you give to young women in India and around the world who may aspire to follow in your footsteps?
United Nations peacekeeping is undergoing a transformative shift, recognising that women’s participation is essential to mission success. Gender Equality has been one of the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN and with the formulation of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda and subsequent policies role of women peacekeepers is quite well supported and significant. In traditionally male-dominated mission environments, communication gaps often existed, particularly with local women who were unable or unwilling to share their experiences with male personnel due to cultural or emotional barriers. Women peacekeepers help bridge this gap by building trust within communities, encouraging dialogue and enabling more inclusive and effective peace processes.
To young women in India and across the world who aspire to serve in UN peacekeeping missions, my message would be to find a cause you truly believe in and pursue it with patience and determination. Do not be overwhelmed by the larger picture — take one step at a time, trust in your abilities and surround yourself with a small but supportive group that keeps you motivated. Most importantly, never lose faith in yourself and the impact you can create through service.
Q: How you take recourse to physical training/practice/spiritual yoga or meditation etc. in any way of life.
I practice yoga at least twice a week, which helps me stay grounded, mentally calm and focused in demanding environments. I also make it a point to go for a short run daily, either in the morning or evening, as part of maintaining physical and mental resilience. I believe it is important to step out of one’s comfort zone and push oneself a little every day — consistent effort towards self-discipline goes a long way in building your inner strength and balance.
Q: Your message to GenZ and to young to join the Army. 
To the young generation, I would like to say that no effort is too small to make a difference. Even a small contribution can create a lasting impact. My team of just 20 women soldiers was able to bring meaningful change in a foreign land. Imagine the difference we can make if each one of us commits to contributing towards the progress and security of our own nation. As the world progresses rapidly and India takes its place on the global stage, this is our moment to contribute meaningfully and shape the world around us for a better future.

Major Swathi Shanthakumar returned to India in February 2026 after completing nearly 18 months with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). She is currently serving under the Indian Army’s Corps of Electronics & Mechanical Engineers and is expected to take up the role of training young cadets in her next assignment.

(Asstt.Editor)