Who Is Abhilasha Barak? India’s First Woman Combat Helicopter Pilot Wins Prestigious UN Award

Major Abhilasha Barak, India’s first woman combat helicopter pilot in the Army, has been honoured with the 2025 United Nations Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award for her work in promoting gender-responsive peacekeeping during her deployment in Lebanon. The United Nations in India announced the recognition on the International Day of UN Peacekeepers, praising her leadership, outreach efforts and commitment towards women and girls affected by conflict. Abhilasha Barak is currently serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) as the Commander of the Female Engagement Team (FET) with the Indian Battalion. The award places Abhilasha Barak among a select group of Indian peacekeepers recognised globally for advancing women’s participation, safety and empowerment in conflict zones.

#IndiaAtUN

Proud to announce that Major Abhilasha Barak has been awarded the 2025 @UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award.

She is serving with the Indian Battalion as the Commander of the Female Engagement Team (FET) in #UNIFIL. Major Abhilasha is also first woman combat… pic.twitter.com/FcAW3OFZul

— India at UN, NY (@IndiaUNNewYork) May 22, 2026

From combat helicopter pilot to UN peacekeeper in Lebanon

Abhilasha Barak made history earlier as the first woman combat helicopter pilot in the Indian Army, breaking barriers in a field traditionally dominated by men. Her journey from India to international peacekeeping missions has now earned global recognition through the prestigious UN award. According to the United Nations in India, Abhilasha Barak was recognised for her “outstanding leadership in promoting gender-responsive peacekeeping.”

The UN in India said in a post on X, “Major Abhilasha Barak of India has been named the 2025 Military Gender Advocate of the Year in recognition of her outstanding leadership in promoting gender-responsive peacekeeping.” The statement added that she “led extensive outreach efforts, engaging over 5000 women and girls through vocational training, education and health programmes that support empowerment and post-conflict recovery.”

Outreach work for women and girls brought international recognition

As Commander of the Female Engagement Team in UNIFIL, Abhilasha Barak focused on outreach and community engagement activities involving women and adolescent girls in Lebanon. Her work also included gender sensitisation training for peacekeepers serving in the mission area.

The Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations also praised her efforts in a separate statement. “Proud to announce that Major Abhilasha Barak has been awarded the 2025 UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award,” the statement said.

It added, “She is serving with the Indian Battalion as the Commander of the Female Engagement Team (FET) in UNIFIL. Major Abhilasha is also first woman combat helicopter pilot of the Indian Army.”

The mission further highlighted that Abhilasha Barak was being recognised for “her outreach and community engagement activities for women and adolescent girls and gender sensitization training for peacekeepers.”

Third Indian recipient of prestigious UN honour

Abhilasha Barak has now become the third Indian recipient of the UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award. Earlier, Major Suman Gawani received the honour in 2019, while Major Radhika Sen was awarded in 2024 for their work during UN peacekeeping missions.

The Embassy of India in Beirut also congratulated Abhilasha Barak and acknowledged her service in Lebanon. “The Embassy extends heartiest congratulations to Major Abhilasha Barak on being honored with the prestigious UN Gender Advocate of the Year Award 2025 by the United Nations,” the embassy said in a post on X.

It also noted that she served “with distinction as the Female Engagement Team (FET) Commander of INDBATT-XXVI.”

Journey from Sanawar to the global peacekeeping stage

The journey of Abhilasha Barak spans some of India’s respected educational and military institutions, including The Lawrence School, Sanawar, Delhi Technological University and the Officers Training Academy in Chennai.

The UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award has been presented annually since 2016 to peacekeepers who show exceptional commitment to promoting the principles of UN Security Council Resolution 1325. The resolution focuses on increasing women’s participation in peace and political processes while also addressing protection from conflict-related sexual violence.

Through her work in Lebanon, Abhilasha Barak has now emerged as one of India’s most recognised women officers on the international peacekeeping stage.

(with inputs from ANI)

Also Read: Who Is Shrey Parikh? 14-Year-Old Indian-Origin Wins Scripps National Spelling Bee After Dramatic Tie-Breaker