Pakistani female army officers awarded UN Medal in Democratic Republic of Congo

The officers worked hard to win the trust of the community, lauds UN' peacekeeping mission in Congo

UNITED NATIONS: Members of the first-ever Pakistani Female Engagement Team (FET), deployed with the United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO), were recently awarded the UN Medal at a ceremony in Adikivu in South Kivu, one of the provinces of the central African country.



This team of 15 female officers, who serve at the ranks of Major and Captain, was stationed there in June last year, marked by the raising of Pakistan’s flag at the mission.

The officers include psychologists, stress counsellors, vocational training officers, gender advisors, doctors, nurses, operations officers, information officers and logistics officers, according to a message received at the UN Headquarters in New York.

The MONUSCO peacekeeping mission said in a press release that another 17 female officers will join them this month.

UN Peacekeepers rely heavily on engaging with the local community — which feels more comfortable liaising and sharing information with military troops that include women alongside men, the mission added.

“Throughout their deployment, the Pakistani female officers worked hard to win the trust of the community,” it said.

The Pakistani FET, according to the mission, implemented successful projects including vocational training, medical outreach and regular sessions of support for students, local women and teachers exposed to trauma along with conducting psychological workshops for Congolese police personnel.



“This team’s extraordinary endeavours to serve the UN is worthy of praise”, said MONUSCO peacekeeping mission press release.

The Governor South Kivu Province, Theo Ngwabidje, represented the Congolese authorities at the ceremony.