MALAKAL - It was not an easy start.
When Swathi Shanthakumar first joined the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) in Malakal, she encountered many challenges interacting with local communities.
“Women were particularly reluctant. We are the first female engagement team that India has deployed so they were not used to seeing women in uniform,” she recalls.
In the past, women peacekeepers have often been more limited to civil functions within their military contingents, providing medical assistance or operational support within the base.
For Major Swathi and her team, work begins outside the UNMISS compound. From ground to air and even river patrols, they are using all means possible to reach and engage with their local counterparts.
“Despite some challenges at the beginning of our journey, we kept going and distributed important health kits and slowly, women in the local communities started trusting us more,” recalls the passionate gender advocate.
“During our first patrol, women were not speaking to us at all. Now they are approaching us by themselves to share their stories. And you can really see the relief they feel after talking to us about their concerns.”
Still, certain challenges persist.
“The biggest issue is language barriers. When we don’t have an assistant with us, we are sometimes unable to engage with our beneficiaries at all. But we always try our best.”
Proving that innovative thinking is key to effective problem solving, they try to find creative ways around the problem, sometimes using translator apps or translating their questions in writing before conducting interviews.
Other difficulties are more personal, as the job involves being away from home for extended periods of time. But even this can be overcome with the right mindset.
“When things get tough, I think of my family back home. My sisters keep motivating me by always telling me how I inspire them to overcome any gender-based barriers,” explains the 31-year-old.
After all, she came to make a difference, a motivation that also inspired her move from software engineering to the Indian army about eight years ago.
Having witnessed and admired the resilience of South Sudanese communities, particularly women, she feels that she is not just on the right path but also in the right place.
“I think women in South Sudan are strong and able to lead their communities. If they can work through their challenges, they will be one of the driving forces to achieve peace.”
By Jaella Brockmann
