Indian cop wins UN's international female peacekeeper award

Inspector Shakti Devi of the Jammu and Kashmir Police, who hails from  Udhampur,  has been named as outstanding female police peacekeeper serving in a UN peace operation and awarded International Female Police Peacekeeper Award 2014 for her "exceptional achievements" in leading the establishment of Women Police   Councils in several parts of Afghanistan, the UN Police Division said in a communication to the Indian mission here.

A senior Cop of Jammu and Kashmir police told  IBNS that Shaki Devi is a dynamic and dedicating lady who has also served the Jammu and Kashmir Police women wing at Punara village in Udhampur district.

Devi has contributed to the improvement of the status of female police and has effectively helped the police of Afghanistan move towards achieving their goals of fully adopting democratic principles of policing.

The award was delivered during the International Association of Women Police (IAWP) conference held earlier this month in Winnipeg, Canada.

The objectives of the award are to promote an understanding of police in peace operations throughout the world, highlight the efforts of female police in global peace operations, increase understanding of the roles of women officers in various countries and encourage participation in UN peace operations by all countries of the world.

It is also aimed at promoting membership in the UN International Female Police Peacekeepers Network and increasing international understanding and awareness of women in international police peacekeeping and in the network.

The award is organised in collaboration with the IAWP Awards programme and delivered during its annual conference.

(Reporting by Saleem Iqbal Qadri)