Who is Abhilasha Barak? India's first woman combat helicopter pilot wins UN Military Gender Advocate Award

India's first woman combat helicopter pilot, Major Abhilasha Barak, was honoured with the UN 2005 Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award on Friday (June 5, 2026), recognising her endeavours to foster the women's role and perspectives in peacekeeping. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who presented the award, said she was "a role model to those you serve, and those you serve with".

"Dreams do not have a gender, and neither does leadership, courage, or the will to serve humanity," said Abhilasha Barak. She added that this award reminds her of the lasting peace that can only be established when every voice is heard and every individual is empowered.

Assistant Secretary-General Lisa Buttenheim said Barak played a key role in advancing the women, peace and security agenda within military operations through her leadership and innovative approach.

Highlighting her contributions, Guterres said Barak fostered strong relationships with local communities, helping establish early-warning networks that enhanced the mission's capacity to safeguard civilians. "As a frontline commander, she has engaged thousands of women and girls through vocational training and programmes for education and health," he said and added that she is transforming lives even under the most challenging circumstances.

Who is Major Abhilasha Barak?

Abhilasha Barak completed her graduation from Delhi Technological University in 2016. Later, she qualified for the armed forces and did training from the Officers Training Academy, Chennai in 2017. She became the first woman combat aviator in the Indian Army in 2022 and completed her one year of training from the Combat Army Aviation Training School at Nashik in Maharashtra in unit 6657 Army Aviation Corps.

Barak hailed from Rohtak, Haryana, and is the daughter of a retired colonel. She was born at the Military Hospital in Wellington while her father was attending a course at Defence Services Staff College. She joined the Army Air Defence Corps in September 2018 and, a year later, Barak led the contingent for the Corps of Army Air Defence on 28 Sep 2019 when former President Ram Nath Kovind presented the President's Colours to the regiment on completion of 25 years of service.

Barak has become the third Indian woman officer to receive the prestigious Military Gender Advocate Award, following Major Suman Gawani and Major Radhika Sen. She currently serves as the Engagement Team Commander and Gender Focal Point with the Indian Battalion deployed under the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

Speaking about her journey in the military, Barak said, "Being the first woman combat helicopter pilot in the Indian Army, I experienced firsthand how opportunity enables women to break barriers and reach milestones." She is one of nearly 650 Indian peacekeepers serving with UNIFIL, including 13 of whom are women, according to the UN. India has deployed 4,278 peacekeepers across various UN missions worldwide.