File:Aichatou Ousmane Issaka IWOC 2.jpg

English: "First Lady Melania Trump poses for a photo with 2017 International Women of Courage Awardee Major Aichatou Ousmane Issaka of Niger during a ceremony at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., on March 29, 2017." https://www.flickr.com/photos/statephotos/33593821471/in/album-72157681980941045/ "Major Aichatou Ousmane Issaka is currently Deputy Director of Social Work at the Military Hospital of Niamey. In 1996, she became one of the first women in Niger to join the army. She is also one of the first women in Niger to attend a military academy. While being a wife and mother of three, Major Ousmane Issaka finds work-life balance between her daily responsibilities and her military tasks which often demand her to deploy on the ground. Danger does not stop Major Ousmane Issaka who has served throughout Niger, most recently in the Diffa Region, where the Boko Haram terrorist organization continues to threaten the population. Major Ousmane Issaka has taken a proactive leadership role in both Niger and most recently Mali where she was deployed within the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali to integrate gender perspectives into peacekeeping activities. Due to her contributions, she received a distinction award from the United Nations (UN). She was also awarded the UN's first World Peace Prize for Military for gender equality in peacekeeping work within the UN force. Major Ousmane Issaka is a bright ray of hope for the Sahel. Her advocacy to raise awareness about gender sensitivities in conflict areas serves a positive example to Niger's military and civil society." [1]