EAM Jaishankar chairs Pravasi Bharatiya Divas highlighting Indian Women's Development

By: WE Staff | Saturday, 11 January 2025

• EAM Jaishankar chairs 4^th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas
• Session highlights Importance of Gender Equality in Foreign Policy
• EAM highlights deep-rooted issues in Society hindering Women’s Development

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar chaired the fourth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas session in Odisha, titled "Diaspora Divas: Celebrating Women's Leadership and Influence—Nari Shakti." The session highlighted the importance of gender equality and women's development in India's foreign policy and international relations.

He highlighted Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership in promoting women-led development and addressing societal and human challenges. Jaishankar also highlighted the need for role models and inspirational figures to drive societal change and break systemic barriers. The session celebrated global women leaders' achievements and addressed India's advocacy for women-led development during its G20 presidency and the Summit of the Future.

EAM Jaishankar mentioned "Some of you might be wondering why I am on this panel. I want to emphasize that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, many issues related to gender equality and women's development have become integral to our international activities and foreign policy. Notably, during India's G20 presidency, we strongly advocated for the concept of women-led development and successfully incorporated it into the G20 conceptual framework. We also advanced this idea significantly during the Summit of the Future."

The Minister highlighted the deep-rooted issues in society that impact women's development. He emphasized that societal change goes beyond addressing visible challenges and focuses on addressing deeply ingrained issues. Discrimination often begins at the family level, affecting access to resources like nutrition, health, and education. This bias extends beyond the household, affecting workplace dynamics and opportunities for women, stated EAM Jaishankar.