Indian cop wins UN's international female peacekeeper award

Indian police Inspector Shakti Devi of the Jammu & Kashmir Police has been named recipient of a prestigious International Female Police Peacekeeper Award by the UN's police division.

She is awarded this award for her "exceptional achievements" in her duty with the UN mission in Afghanistan, including her efforts towards helping victims of sexual and gender-based violence.

The award was delivered during the International Association of Women Police (IAWP) conference held earlier this month in Winnipeg, Canada.

Currently she is deployed in the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).

Contribution of Inspector Shakti Devi in Afghanistan:

• Devi had played important role in the establishment of Women Police Councils in several parts of Afghanistan.
• She has also contributed to the improvement of the status of female police and has effectively helped the police of Afghanistan move towards achieving their goals of fully adopting democratic principles of policing.
• She played important role in improving the service for victims of sexual and gender-based violence has led to successful investigation and prosecution.

About the award:

The honour is a competitive award given to an outstanding female police peacekeeper serving in a UN peace operation.

The objectives of the award are

1. To promote an understanding of police in peace operations throughout the world.
2. Highlight the efforts of female police in global peace operations.
3. Increase understanding of the roles of women officers in various countries and encourage participation in UN peace operations by all countries of the world.

It is also aimed at promoting membership in the UN International Female Police Peacekeepers Network and increasing international understanding and awareness of women in international police peacekeeping and in the network.

The award is organised in collaboration with the International Association of Women Police (IAWP) Awards programme and delivered during its annual conference.

India and UN peacekeeping operations:

India is the largest contributor to UN peacekeeping operations.

India has contributed more than 170,000 troops in 43 out of 69 peacekeeping missions mandated by the United Nations Security Council so far.

The UN owes India USD 110 million, the second highest outstanding payment to any country, for costs relating to peacekeeping operations and troops.