US diplomat Alice Wells says inspired by Pakistani women serving as UN peacekeepers in Congo

NEW YORK:     United States chief diplomat for South Asian affairs Alice Wells on Wednesday said she was inspired by the Pakistani women who were serving in the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
In a tweet, Wells said: “Inspired by Pakistani women serving with distinction in the UN peacekeeping mission in the DRC.
“The first Pakistani all-female group of 15 peacekeepers received medals last week for their work performing a range of services to the conflict-affected eastern DRC.”
Members of the first-ever Pakistani Female Engagement Team (FET), which is deployed with the United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO), were recently awarded the UN Medal at a ceremony in Adikivu in South Kivu, one of the provinces of the central African country.
This team of was the first ever Pakistani Female Engagement team in any UN peacekeeping mission around the world.
The officers were psychologists, stress counsellors, vocational training officers, gender advisers, doctors, nurses, operations officers, information officers and logistics officers
UN Peacekeepers rely heavily on engaging with the local community — which feels more comfortable liaising and sharing information with military troops that include women alongside men, the mission had said.
“Throughout their deployment the Pakistani female officers worked hard to win the trust of the community,” it added.
The Pakistani FET, according to the mission, has implemented many successful projects including vocational training, medical outreach, regular sessions of support for students, local women and teachers exposed to trauma; and psychological workshops for Congolese police personnel.