New York, May 23 -- Major Abhilasha Barak has been awarded the 2025 UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award, Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations said.

Barak is recognized for her outreach and community engagement activities for women and adolescent girls and gender sensitization training for peacekeepers.

In a post on X, the permanent mission said, "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 helicopter pilot of the Indian Army. She is being recognized for her outreach and community engagement activi...