Dr Geeta Rao Gupta, the US Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues, is preparing for a visit to India to enhance the bilateral relationship between the US and India. Specifically, she will be concentrating on bolstering the US-India Alliance for Women's Economic Empowerment and working on strategies to prevent and respond to gender-based violence. The US Department of State announced that her visit to India is scheduled from September 11 to 16.
During her time in India, Ambassador Geeta Gupta has a series of engagements planned to further the objectives of the US-India Alliance on Women's Economic Empowerment. On September 11, she will co-host a meeting of the alliance, which includes various key stakeholders such as the Department of State, the USAID, the US-India Business Council, Johns Hopkins University, and the American India Foundation. The focus of their discussions will revolve around expanding women's participation in the corporate workforce, STEM fields, and entrepreneurship in India.
On September 12, Dr Gupta will participate as a speaker in a panel at the USIBC Ideas Summit, where the discussion will center around women's roles in shaping the US-India corridor. Subsequently, on September 13, she will shift her focus to Chennai, where she will engage with regional government officials and other stakeholders on the critical issue of women's safety from gender-based violence in public spaces. Meetings with private sector, labor, and civil society organizations are also on her agenda to deliberate on strategies such as the Dindigul Agreement aimed at preventing GBV and harassment in the workplace.
As her visit progresses, on September 16, Ambassador Rao Gupta will return to New Delhi to emphasize the issue of gender-based violence in public spaces, with a specific interest in public transit safety. She is scheduled to deliver keynote remarks at a POWER Seminar focusing on the significance of public transport facilities in empowering women. These engagements form a critical part of her mission to strengthen US-India bilateral ties and advance initiatives for women's economic empowerment and safety.