Geeta Rao Gupta Sworn In By Veep Kamala Harris
WASHINGTON, DC (IANS) – Geeta Rao Gupta has been sworn in as the Ambassador-at-Large for the Office of Global Women’s Issues in the US State Department, becoming the first woman of color to hold the position.
Gupta, who was administered the oath of office by Vice-President Kamala Harris on July 10, was confirmed by 51 to 47 votes in the Senate for the position in May.
While announcing her appointment in May, the State Department had said it “looks forward to her efforts to promote women and girls’ rights through US foreign policy”.
During her confirmation hearing last year before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Gupta had said she was a proud US citizen and a first-generation immigrant, belonging to a family of professional women, each of whom dedicated their lives to serving their communities.
“If you look at the world today, the situation of women, if you look at the gender inequality indicators, they show that the inequality has increased,” she had said.
According to Gupta, women are unable to participate fully in the economy as there are many inequalities and indignities holding them back.
Mumbai-born Gupta previously served as Senior Fellow at the United Nations Foundation and Senior Advisor to Co-impact, a global collaborative philanthropy for systems change.
While at the UN Foundation, Gupta founded and served as the Executive Director and later as Senior Advisor of the 3D Program for Girls and Women.
With over decades of experience on gender and development, Gupta has also served on an oversight committee for the World Health Organisation’s Health Emergencies Programme, and co-chaired the World Banks’s Global Gender-based Violence Task Force.
She was the Deputy Executive Director, Programmes at UNICEF, and prior to that as a Senior Fellow at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
She is the recipient of numerous awards, including InterAction’s Julia Taft Award for Outstanding Leadership, Harvard University’s Anne Roe Award, and Washington Business Journal’s “Women Who Mean Business” Award.
She is armed with a Ph.D. in Psychology from Bangalore University and an M. Phil and M.A. from the University of Delhi.
Mouli
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Why does this news paper give so much importance to ‘color’ . Why can’t you say, the first Asian Indian to hold this office of Global Women’s issue. What does color have to do with her or the position or in general as a human being. Let’s leave ‘color’ depiction to the Western media who are very fond of assigning ‘color’ to everything they write about (pun intended).
July 11, 2023Siby Sebastian
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I agree with you Mouli. No body should be included or excluded due to their color creed gender ethnicity financial capability or age. Otherwise you are insulting that person as if to confirm that they got there because of it.
July 11, 2023Vijay
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I agree with you, Mr. Mouli. Why is it important to bring the color of skin into the picture. Take a look at horses of many colors: brown, white, dark tan and so forth. We never distinguish horses by color. They ALL are treated in the same manner without paying attention to color of their skin. Let us apply the same reasoning to humans.
July 12, 2023Prof Keshav Patel
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Hearty Congratulations to Geeta Rao- Gupta for being the Ambassador at large for the office of Global women’s issue in US as the first Indian American woman holding this position for first time.n wish her all the best for the success in her mission.
July 11, 2023Being well educated in India n America n having great experiences in different departments at UN I am sure she will will make difference in improving the inequality of women in US. Statement ‘inequality has increased is not correct, it should be ‘ inequality of women is not minimized’. Hence now she will work for it.
Best wishes for your success in achieving the mission Mouli Ben you are right. Every one has not digested American Constitution or idealism is in books only.