The United Nations announced on Tuesday the 2024 recipients of the Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award and the UN Woman Police Officer of the Year Award. The honors go to Squadron Leader Sharon Mwinsote Syme of Ghana and Chief Inspector Zainab Gbla of Sierra Leone, respectively.
The awards will be presented at UN Headquarters in New York by UN Secretary-General António Guterres during a ceremony marking International Day of UN Peacekeepers, on 29 May 2025, according to a press release from the Department of Peace Operations.
Military Gender Advocate of the Year
Squadron Leader Sharon Syme of Ghana was named the 2024 Military Gender Advocate of the Year in recognition of her outstanding commitment to gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls during her service with the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA). Abyei is an oil-rich region contested by Sudan and South Sudan.
Since her deployment in 2024 as UNISFA’s Military Gender Advisor, her actions have had a direct impact on local communities, ensuring that the voices and needs of women and girls are included in security and peacebuilding initiatives, according to the Department of Peace Operations.
As part of her role, Syme led a large-scale awareness campaign in local communities — targeting both women and men — about the dangers and health consequences of gender-based violence and harmful traditional practices, such as child marriage.
She also worked to improve gender awareness and capacity within UNISFA’s military components by leading mixed-gender patrols that addressed the diverse needs of communities and collaborating with local women’s groups to foster trust and cooperation.
“Squadron Leader Syme exemplifies the principles of advancing gender equality in peace operations,” said Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations. “Her commitment has not only enhanced the effectiveness of UNISFA’s operations but also enabled the mission to better reflect the needs of the communities it serves.”
“Integrating gender perspectives into daily tasks is the responsibility of every peacekeeper,” said Squadron Leader Syme. “Success depends on diverse military representation at checkpoints, in bases, and on patrols. It also requires gender-sensitive leadership that listens and responds to the voices of all peacekeepers, both men and women.”
UN Woman Police Officer of the Year
Chief Inspector Zainab Gbla of Sierra Leone was named UN Woman Police Officer of the Year for her innovative community engagement initiatives that have strengthened ties between host communities and the mission, while establishing new channels for reporting crimes in Abyei, where no functioning police service exists.
Upon arriving in a region with no schools, she launched an education program providing teaching materials and visual aids for the education of disadvantaged children. She also set up a mentoring program for girls. Her support projects in vegetable farming and livestock marketing have provided women with sustainable sources of income, enabling them to support their families and send their children to school in nearby Abyei town.
Now serving as UNISFA’s Police Training Officer, Chief Inspector Gbla spent her teenage years as an internally displaced person and later as a refugee in Guinea — experiences that motivated her to join the police force and work to empower women affected by conflict, as she once was.
“Inspired by the positive impact of the police she witnessed firsthand — especially the rebuilding and reform of the Sierra Leone Police after years of conflict — Chief Inspector Gbla embodies the UN’s efforts to improve lives and shape futures,” said Jean-Pierre Lacroix.
“This award symbolizes the hard work of all women in uniform serving under the UN flag,” said Chief Inspector Gbla upon learning of her recognition. “Each of us faces unique challenges in our missions, but our common goal remains the same: to promote peace and protect vulnerable people.”
About the Awardees
Chief Inspector Zainab Mbalu Gbla joined the Sierra Leone Police in 2002 and has held various positions in operations, training, and leadership. She has been serving with UNISFA since April 2023 as Chief of the Community Disarmament Unit and Police Training Officer. This is her third peacekeeping mission, having served with the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) from 2010 to 2013 and again from 2020 to 2021.
Squadron Leader Sharon Mwinsote Syme graduated from the Ghana Military Academy and holds a Master’s degree in International Health from the University of Tokyo in Japan. A year after graduating, she joined the Ghana Armed Forces Medical Corps and currently serves as Deputy Head of Dietetics at the 37 Military Hospital in Accra, Ghana. Her deployment to UNISFA in March 2024 as Military Gender Advisor marks her first peacekeeping mission.
About the Awards
The UN Woman Police Officer of the Year Award, established in 2011, recognizes outstanding contributions by female police officers in UN peace operations and supports the empowerment of women, in line with Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security.
The Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award has been presented annually since 2016 to a military peacekeeper who demonstrates leadership in promoting the principles of the same resolution, which calls for gender perspectives in all dimensions of peacekeeping and peacebuilding, ensures women’s participation in political processes, and helps prevent conflict-related sexual violence, notably by increasing the presence of uniformed women in UN missions.
Source : ONU Info