Young Women Leaders In Public Policy Fellowship

Session Report
Riya Pawar

A National Winter School Program on Young Women Leaders in Public Policy Fellowship was organized by Gender Impact Studies Center, IMPRI Impact and Policy Research Institute. The 9th Session of this course was conducted from 6th January to 8th March. The session was convened by Dr. Arjun Kumar, Simmi Mehata, Prof. Gumadi Srideviji, and Adv Dr. Shalu Nigam. The course is conducted by esteemed women pioneers from varied fields with special guidance to emerging young Women Leaders.

In the 9th Session of the ‘Young Women Leaders in Public Policy Fellowship’, Prof. Sanjukta Bhattacharya, Retired Prof Jadavpur University. Nivedata P Haran, visiting distinguished fellow IMPRI, enlightened the panels with panes of Women Leadership in Diplomacy, Foreign Policy, and Public Services.

The panel was chaired by Prof. Vibhuti Patel, who delivered the opening remark, underscoring an overview of the previous sessions conducted. She talked about the perks emerging out of participation of women in Diplomacy and Foreign Policy and women’s role in Negotiations. She stressed the importance of inculcating leadership qualities among women.

Women in Diplomacy, Foreign Policy, and Leadership

Prof. Sanjukta Bhattacharya delivered the keynote address. The theme for her presentation was Women in Diplomacy, Foreign Policy, and Leadership. She began by tracing the historical threads of women’s participation in Diplomacy starting from Catherine of Aragon. The involvement of women in the history of Diplomacy and their importance in foreign policy are undeniable.

She noted the history of Indian Women in Diplomacy like Vijayalaxmi Pandit. Prof Bhattacharya noted that these women represented the newly independent India. She raised concerns regarding the relegation of achievements. She said that we are limiting their glory limiting to archives of history.

In the later part of her presentation, she raised concerns about the prevailing misogyny and glass ceiling in the world of Diplomacy. She exemplified with the help of two case studies the and the battles women have to face to be a part of the negotiation and diplomacy realm. Prof. Bhattacharya noted that efforts are underway. She agrees that the set intentions. However, there are several changes that are still expected to create a more conducive environment for women in Diplomacy.

She further highlighted a need for Feminist Foreign Policy. She illustrated her case by defining Feminist Foreign Policy. It prioritizes peace, gender equality, and environmental integrity. According to her it is crucial to integrate feminist foreign policy for women empowerment.

She illustrated with the disturbing instance of Gaza War. Prof Bhattacharya Underscored the hardships faced by women in wars. She talked about violations of several rights of women during such instances. She said that women face a great level of economic and social difficulties during such turmoil. It is important to safeguard women during these times.

To come up with effective solutions to safeguard women’s rights, it is crucial to view phenomena like wars from a women’s lens. This lens can help us transcend the boundaries of foreign Policy to address issues like rape, economic hardships, and ecological violence.

Acknowledgment: This article was posted by Riya Pawar, a research intern at IMPRI.