Captain Cecilia Erzuah: Woman hailed for gender advocacy in peacekeeping.

GNA Feature by Bristiana Afua Nyarko

Accra, June 19, GNA – Captain Cecilia Erzuah, a soldier of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) on 25th May 2023, received the UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award for 2022.

She was the seventh person and the 5th African to have received this prestigious award. It was presented to her at the UN headquarters in New York, United States of America.

The 32- year of old Army Captain and active UN Peacekeeper stationed in the Abyei Region of Sudan, returned home to report to the Chief of Defence Staff on Tuesday the 13th of June 2023 where she was officially welcomed and hosted in a reception to honour her for winning the award.

The feat that caused the young officer of the Ghana Army to merit the award was her role in championing of the role of women as change agents in contributing to international peace and security as stipulated by the UN Resolution 1325.

The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Vice Admiral Seth Amoama, addressing her at his office in Burma Camp said GAF was proud of her achievement which finally got recognition from the UN.

Vice Admiral Amoama said, the honour Captain Erzuah had gained made her family and the Armed Forces and the country proud.

“It is a pride that the UN recognises the contributions of individuals beyond what their duty calls them to discharge. We are very happy with this recognition of Captain Cecilia Erzuah that has brought so much honour to our country and to the Armed Forces”, He said

After a hearty thanksgiving address by Captain Erzuah to her superiors, a reception was held in her honour at the Command Mess.

It was during the period of merrymaking that the Ghana News Agency engaged Captain Cecilia Erzuah on the exploits that led to her winning the prestigious award for the year 2022.

What did she do?

She said other members of her platoon as part of the larger Ghanaian Battalion based in Abyei were engaged in gender empowerment activities and programmes that sought to promote equity, peace and security in their area of operation hence, the award.

“We tried as much as possible to ensure that we engaged all facets of the community, so we don’t side-line either of the gender. That encompasses the work I did with my platoon”, she said.

How did her colleagues receive the news of her winning the award? Going forward, how would that impact on her work as a gender advocate in uniform?

She said she felt honoured for the award because Ghana, for a long time, had deployed female officers in peacekeeping operations and so this award comes as “world recognition” of the efforts that the country has invested in to ensuring women’s empowerment and gender parity.

Motivation?

The award she stated, would motivate her and other female colleagues to do their best.

“The award tells me that whatever we are doing, if you put in the efforts, it would be recognised even when you are not in the known”, she said.

She encouraged other women not to give up on their dreams and aspiration but look up to people who have achieved feats despite challenges and model after them.

Brigadier-General Winfried Dzandu-Hedidor, the Director General of the Department of International Peace Support Operations, added that, the award which came as a result of the United Nations resolution 1325 promulgated in the year 2000 was not to “pamper” female officers but, encouraged them to “stand up to the task” in the performance of their duties as this would raise their merit for the award.

He said Captain Erzuah had demonstrated the above trait, making her a deserving candidate for the award.

John Erzuah and Elizabeth Dadzie, Captain Erzuah’s parents, in an interview with the GNA, apart from expressing their excitement advised parents not to relegate the potentials of their children particularly the females to the background.

The UN gender advocate of the year award was instituted in 2016 by the UN office of military affairs, Department of Peace Operations in New York.

The award recognises military peacekeepers who had best interpreted gender perspectives in peacekeeping activities within the UN Security Council Resolution 1325.

Each year the Awardee is selected from candidates nominated commanders and heads of missions from all peacekeeping operations. A committee is then composed by the office of military affairs to select the winner.

In 2016, a Nigerien Major Aichatou Osmanu Issaka won the award, followed in 2017 by South African Major, Seitabetso Pearl Blocka.

In 2018, Leuitenant Commander Marcia Andrade Braga won, with that of 2019 jointly won by Indian Major Suman Gawani and Brazilian Commander Carla Monteiro de Castro Araujo.

The 2020 award went to Major Steplyne Nyaboga from the Kenyan Army. In 2021, a Zimbabwean Major Winnet Zharare was the winner.

GNA