By Brian Okoth
Captain Cecilia Erzuah of Ghana has been named the 2022 United Nations’ Gender Advocate of the Year for her peace efforts in the border of Sudan and South Sudan.
The 32-year-old, who has served as the Commander of the Ghana Engagement Platoon since March 2022, will receive the award from Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday.
The UN’s Department of Peace Operations says Erzuah will be celebrated on International Day of UN Peacekeepers.
Erzuah has led peace operations in Abyei, a resource-rich area on the border between Sudan and South Sudan that has been marred by conflict. Both nations continue to lay claim to the disputed area.
In 2011, the UN’s Security Council authorised the deployment of a peacekeeping force in efforts to quell tensions as South Sudan geared towards independence.
Captain Erzuah has been leading peace operations in Abyei for a year, facilitating the delivery of human aid, free movement of aid workers and providing protection for civilians under threat.
The UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award was introduced in 2016 to honour efforts of an individual military peacekeeper in promoting the principles of the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security.
“Resolution 1325 reminds us that our women peacekeepers are not only supporting global peace and security. They are leading the way. By every measure, Captain Cecilia Erzuah of Ghana is one of those leaders,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
“On every front, Captain Erzuah’s work has set the standard for ensuring that the needs and concerns of women are reflected across our peacekeeping operations,” he added.
Captain Erzuah expressed her gratitude for the recognition, saying it is “an award for all of us”, referring to her platoon members.
“An advocate for gender equality and community engagement, Capt. Erzuah made sure that her 22-strong platoon, composed equally of men and women, conducted regular patrols and outreach to local leaders as well as women’s and youth groups, to better understand and address community concerns and needs,” said the UN on its website.
Erzuah has also hosted discussions on domestic violence and initiated monthly market walks with her battalion, which “contributed to building strong and enduring relationships between traders, local residents and the UN”.
“In January 2023, following a spike in community violence in Majbong, a village in southeast Abyei, Captain Erzuah’s platoon stepped up its presence, regularly checking on the plight of displaced people in the volatile area and enabling the Mission to provide necessary support,” said the UN.
