Chronicle Editor
Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Reporter
A Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) officer who was on a United Nations peacekeeping mission for 17 months in Bentiu, South Sudan, Major Winnet Zharare has been honoured with a top UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award for her outstanding efforts to integrate gender perspectives into peacekeeping activities.
Maj Zharare (39) received her award at the UN headquarters in New York in the United States on Thursday, the first such award to be awarded to a Zimbabwean, from the Secretary-General Mr António Guterres during a ceremony marking the International Day of UN Peacekeepers.
Inaugurated in 2016, the award recognises the dedication and efforts of an individual military peacekeeper in promoting the principles of UN Security Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace, and Security, as nominated by Heads and Force Commanders of UN peace operations.
“Major Zharare is a role model and a trailblazer.
Through her service, she has demonstrated the invaluable role that women play in building trust, advocating for change, and forging peace.
“Her example shows how we will all gain with more women at the decision-making table and gender parity in peace operations,” said Mr Guterres.
Maj Zharare, who joined the army in 2006 as an Infantry Platoon Commander, while doubling as a matron in Mutare, expressed her appreciation for the honour adding that she has always been an advocate for equal opportunities for both women and men.
“Growing up in a patriarchal society where men have always been given preference over women, to eventually see a shift with the turn of the millennium, when countries started focusing on gender mainstreaming, served as motivation for me to work on addressing gender issues.
Also, my parents gave us (girls) equal opportunities as my brothers.
I believe that equal opportunities should be given to both women and men in all aspects of life,” said Maj Zharare.
As the Chief Military Information Officer in UNMISS Bentiu field office, Maj Zharare helped ensure that patrols included both women and men to improve protection efforts as well as build trust between host communities and the Mission.
Her efforts also contributed to an increase in gender-aggregated data so that issues raised by local women and girls got attention.
“Advocating for gender parity and women’s participation in an environment where they are traditionally excluded from decision-making, she encouraged local civilian and military authorities and community representatives to involve both men and women in meetings with the UN.
Her diligence and diplomatic skills quickly gained her the trust of local military commanders who would systematically reach out to her on issues pertaining to women’s protection and rights.
During her patrols and numerous community engagement initiatives, Major Zharare also successfully encouraged men and women to work together in farming and in the construction of dikes around Bentiu town to alleviate food shortages and prevent further displacement,” reads an extract from peacekeeping.un.org.
Born in Mhondoro, Mashonaland West province in a family of five girls and two boys, Maj Zharare began her military career in 2006 as a 2nd Lieutenant and deployed as an Infantry Platoon Commander, doubling as a matron, in Mutare that same year.
In 2009, she joined the logistics corps and completed the Junior Staff Course at the Zimbabwe Staff College and the Company Commanders’ Course at the All-Arms Battle School in 2014.
She worked as a Protocol Officer from 2015 to 2019, after which she was nominated for deployment in UNMISS as a Military Observer in Bentiu, South Sudan, fulfilling roles including Chief Information Officer, Training Officer, and Gender Focal Point. Her tour of duty ended in April 2022.
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