CCOPAB takes part in UN award ceremony on gender equality for Brazilian woman peacekeeper

Written by Webmaster on 02 April 2019.

Rio de Janeiro, RJ – 29 March, the Brazilian Peace Operations Joint Training Center – Sergio Vieira de Mello Center – (CCOPAB, acronym in Portuguese) took part in UN award ceremony of Lieutenant Commander Márcia Andrade Braga, who received in New York the UN Gender Advocate of the Year Award for promoting gender equality in PKOs.

At the UN Information Center in Rio (UNIC-Rio), military personnel from CCOPAB and other Brazilian military units watched the live internet broadcasting of the award ceremony. Also, military personnel and civilians had the opportunity to talk to Lieutenant Commander Márcia, who joined a video-conferencing after the ceremony.

CCOPAB’s expert on gender equality, Major Christiane Lima, who served in MINUSTAH, emphasized the necessity of raising female officers’ awareness regarding gender equality. In her perspective, cultural stereotypes take women away from PKOs.

“It is hard to understand that we have the power to take an active role. We live in a society in which we usually do not have enough room”, said the Major. “Gender perspective has to do with equality, participation, contribution, both women and men.

Major Schevengber, from the Land Operations Command (COTER, acronym in Portuguese) as well as Lieutenant Milena Santos, Sergeant Caio Silva and Sergeant Gabriel Machado from CCOPAB were present at the UN award ceremony.

Translation: LT Rangel.