COMPASS 2020 - A Conversation with Amb Lakshmi Puri on "Women in Leadership"

Agenda Brief- It is true that gender inequality has existed in the world for ages. It is true that men have ruled the roost when it comes to public life or any other sector in India. However, the participation of women in public life, intellectual pursuits, sports, science, business, academics, and many other fields has been anything but negligible. Women in India have been able to carve out a niche for themselves since ages, whether it comes to Razia Sultan- the first female monarch of Delhi, Rani Laxmi Bai- the valiant warrior who braved all the odds to save her beloved kingdom and Savitri Bai Phule, who was the torchbearer for women’s rights during the colonial rule in India. There are countless, rarely known, occasions in history and present when women, in general, and Indian women, in particular, themselves changed the course of history. Women are marching forward in umpteen number of fields and are setting trends for the others. The rise of education and awareness in society has been a propelling factor behind the unstoppable rise of women. However, as Frost had said, “And miles to go before I sleep.” Discrimination on the grounds of gender, unfortunately, exists on the account of the patriarchal societal mindset. It is the time when we must realize that gender equality, as an essential idea, must be accepted widely. The society can undergo holistic development only when men and women are treated at par. Despite the rough ups and resistance, women from time to time have emerged resurgent and they will continue to do so. The speaker will focus on the voice, participation and leadership of women in all fields, with special emphasis on the where women are, currently, and where they need to get to in the future. Speaker Bio - Lakshmi Puri, the recipient of the prestigious Eleanor Roosevelt Award for Human Rights is a former Assistant Secretary-General at the United Nations and the former Deputy Executive Director of UN Women. Ms. Puri joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1974 and served in Japan, Sri Lanka, and Switzerland. Subsequently, she served as Ambassador to Hungary. For 6 years between 1993 and 1999 she served as the Joint Secretary Economic Division and Multilateral Economic Relations. She was also fundamental in negotiating various bilateral initiatives like the Look East Policy, Indo-ASEAN dialogue and also the Bay of Bengal Initiative. From 2009 to 2011, she was the Director of the UN OHRLLS. While serving at UN Women, she brought in a new dynamic for gender equality and women empowerment. She was instrumental in securing a dedicated and comprehensive Sustainable Development Goal - SDG 5 on Achieving Gender Equality and the Empowerment of all women and girls in the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development adopted by member states at the Summit level at the United Nations. She also played a crucial role in convening the first ever global Summit on gender equality in 2015 with 70 key heads of state attending. Her campaigns like He for She and Planet 50/50 brought in global recognition. Currently, she writes on national and international publications.