U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues Dr. Geeta Rao Gupta will travel to India from September 11-16 to advance U.S.-India bilateral economic security and human rights priorities, including advancing the U.S.-India Alliance for Women's Economic Empowerment and addressing gender-based violence prevention and response.
On September 11, Ambassador Rao Gupta will co-host a meeting of the U.S.-India Alliance on Women's Economic Empowerment, a public-private partnership between the Department of State, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the U.S.-India Business Council (USIBC), the Gupta-Klinsky India Institute at Johns Hopkins University, and the American India Foundation, with Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu, Deputy Assistant Secretary for India and Bhutan Nancy Jackson, and USAID Deputy Assistant Administrator for Asia Anjali Kaur. At this first in-person gathering of the Alliance, Alliance members will discuss joint efforts to expand women's corporate workforce participation, participation in STEM research and education, and entrepreneurship in India. On September 12, Ambassador Rao Gupta will speak on a USIBC Ideas Summit Panel on "Leading the Charge: Women Pioneers Shaping the U.S.-India Corridor."
On September 13, the Ambassador will hold meetings in Chennai, where she will engage with regional government officials and others on the importance of women's safety from gender-based violence (GBV) in public spaces. She will also meet with private sector, labor, and civil society organizations to discuss the Dindigul Agreement as a model for preventing GBV and harassment in the workplace.
On September 16, Ambassador Rao Gupta will return to New Delhi, where she will continue to elevate the issue of GBV in public spaces, with a focus on public transit. The Ambassador will deliver keynote remarks at a POWER Seminar on "Empowering Women: Unveiling the Importance of Public Transport Facilities."
