Indian police inspector wins UN's international female peacekeeper award

 

Inspector Shakti Devi of the Jammu and Kashmir Police, currently deployed in the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), has been awarded the International Female Police Peacekeeper Award 2014.
She has been named recipient of a prestigious international female peacekeeper award by the UN's police division 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. 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 to promote an understanding of police in peace operations throughout the
world, highlight the efforts of female police in global peace operations, 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 IAWP Awards programme and delivered during its annual conference. India is the largest contributor to UN peacekeeping operations, having contributed more than 170,000 troops in 43 out of 69 peacekeeping missions mandated by the United Nations Security Council so far.