Maj. Steplyne Nyaboga, a Kenyan peacekeeper who has been in Sudan’s Darfur is the winner of UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award for 2020.
The United Nations secretary-general Antonio Guterres office made the announcement adding that a virtual ceremony will follow on Thursday.
Maj. Nyaboga served in the recently ended UN-African Union Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID).
Her role in Darfur was in addressing gender dynamics in the field. Maj, Nyaboga is credited with pioneering gender-sensitive outreach to local communities, in an effort to enhance the protection of civilians. She also focused on gender training for her fellow military peacekeepers.
According to the press office, she advised the force on how to better identify and integrate the needs of men, women, boys, and girls groups in vulnerable contexts into UNAMID’s analysis, planning, and operations, a move that greatly improved the mission’s understanding of and response to protection needs.
She came up with campaigns on gender and communication for staff which went a long way in solving issues affecting women in Darfur.
“Through her efforts, Major Nyaboga introduced new perspectives and increased awareness of crucial gender dimensions across the Mission and helped strengthen our engagement with Darfuri women. The United Nations remains steadfast in its commitment to ensuring that women sit at the political table and make their full contributions to peace, and Major Nyaboga’s dedication has advanced the vital clause,” the statement read.
