US Envoy Geeta Rao Gupta arrives in India to attend G20 Ministerial Meeting on Women’s Empowerment

New Delhi [India]: US Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues Geeta Rao Gupta on Tuesday arrived in India to attend the G20 Ministerial Meeting on Women’s Empowerment in Gandhinagar, Gujarat from August 2-4.

Rao Gupta was accompanied by US Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs (SCA) Nancy Jackson, White House Gender Policy Council Senior Advisor Vogelstein and USAID Senior Gender Coordinator Jamille Bigio. “Welcome to India, @StateGWI Ambassador Dr. Rao Gupta, @State_SCA Deputy Assistant Secretary Nancy Jackson, @WhiteHouseGPC Senior Advisor Vogelstein, and @USAID Senior Gender Coordinator Jamille Bigio,” the US Embassy in India tweeted on Wednesday.

The Embassy further wrote that the US government is committed to advancing gender equality, and “we look forward to a productive G20 India Ministerial Conference on Women’s Empowerment.”

During her India visit spanning eight days, the US Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues Geeta Rao Gupta will travel to Gujarat, Mumbai and Bengaluru, the US Department of State said.

The US envoy kick-started her Gujarat visit from August 1-4. In Gujarat, Rao will lead the US delegation to the G20 Alliance for the Empowerment and Progression of Women’s Economic Representation (G20 EMPOWER) Conference and the G20 Ministerial Conference on Women’s Empowerment hosted by the Government of India.

The three-day G20 Ministerial Conference on Women’s Empowerment will start on August 2 and will be chaired by Union Minister of Women and Child Development, Smriti Zubin Irani.

The Ministerial Conference on Women’s Empowerment takes place amidst global challenges ranging from insufficient progress towards Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to challenges posed by climate change and uneven pandemic recovery, according to the statement released by the Ministry of Women and Child Development.

The G20 Ministerial Conference while focusing on women-led development will be an opportunity for accelerating achievement towards Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment and achieving SDG: Goal 5.

The Ministerial meeting spread over three days will witness the participation of more than 150 delegates led by their respective Heads of Delegations from G20 members, invitee countries, and International Organisations (IOs).

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will deliver a special video address at the start of the Ministerial Conference.

The involvement of Ambassador Rao Gupta highlights and advances the US government’s gender equality policy initiatives in the area and around the world.

From Gujarat, Rao Gupta will travel to Mumbai from August 5-6 to meet members of the private sector and civil society to discuss gender equality priorities in India.

The keynote points of discussion would include ways for advancing women’s economic security by dismantling systemic barriers to women’s equitable participation in the economy, closing the gender digital divide, and preventing and responding to gender-based violence.

Ambassador Rao Gupta and Deputy Assistant Secretary Jackson will then travel to Bengaluru to deliver keynote remarks at the WEConnect International Asia Pacific Conference on August 7, the US State Department’s official release said.

The Ambassador will meet with women leaders and civil society organisations in Bengaluru and discuss initiatives to promote women’s rights and empowerment in India.