Chaitanya Venkateswaran takes over the British High Commission for a day.
New Delhi:
Being the British High Commissioner in India can be a hectic job, and an 18-year-old woman from the national capital experienced it when she held office for a day.
Chaitanya Venkateswaran from New Delhi had the unique opportunity to spend last Wednesday as the UK’s highest ranking diplomat in India under the initiative of the mission aimed at empowering and highlighting the challenges faced by women around the world.
The British High Commission has been organizing the ” High Commissioner for a Day ” contest annually since 2017, inviting young Indian women aged 18-23 to take over as senior diplomats.
Chaitanya Venkateswaran is the fourth young woman to assume the post of British High Commissioner in an annual competition organized by the UK mission in celebration of International Girl’s Day on October 11, the British High Commission said in a statement.
As the UK’s top diplomat, Chaitanya Venkateswaran’s busy day included handing over assignments to High Commission department heads, interacting with high-ranking female police officers, meeting with the press, and launching a study tracking the impact of STEM scholarships. of the British Council in participating Indian women.
“I used to visit the British Council library in New Delhi when I was younger, and that’s where I cultivated my love of learning. Based on that knowledge, being the British High Commissioner for a day was a golden opportunity.” said Chaitanya Venkateswaran. .
“My day was filled with diverse experiences that have really broadened my perspective on the role of women and their representation in the fields of media, police and STEM. I am now more determined than ever to use my new knowledge and experience. to help promote the equal treatment of women everywhere, “she said.
Jan Thompson, the Deputy High Commissioner on that day and the Acting High Commissioner in India on other days, said this competition is one of her favorite times of the year – an opportunity to provide a platform to extraordinary young women and show how the The UK and India are sharing experience to ensure that women and girls reach their full potential around the world.
“I was excited to step down from my duties with Chaitanya for the day and was impressed by the confidence and competence with which she took on this role, a winner deserving of an incredible number of 215 entries,” he said.
“On the sidelines of her busy day as High Commissioner, we also enjoyed talking about our mutual love for the arts. I look forward to seeing what Chaitanya accomplishes next as she joins a group of young women whose voices we have been proud to expand through. this annual initiative, the next generation of world leaders, “said Jan Thompson.
This year, competition contestants were invited to submit a one-minute video on social media, answering the question, “What global challenges and opportunities do you see for gender equality in the era of COVID-19?”
In keeping with COVID-19 health and safety precautions, Chaitanya Venkateswaran participated in the day via video conference, but was happy to meet Acting High Commissioner Jan Thompson at a later date for a socially estranged walk.
Chaitanya Venkateswaran, a recent high school graduate from New Delhi, is pursuing a full scholarship Bachelor’s degree in International Studies and Economics, and certificate programs in Advanced Studies in Leadership and Political Thought at the American University, Washington DC, studying formally. remote.
As an active volunteer, she has worked to help visually impaired students, acid attack survivors, and underserved LGBT + groups.
During the day she was British High Commissioner, she met with Anandabazar Editor Patrika to learn about gender representation in the media industry, discussed gender and police with senior police officers from Madhya Pradesh and Telangana and interacted with Marks & Spencer India. team.
She also launched the British Council’s STEM Tracer study documenting the stories of 166 Indian scholars and chaired a meeting with youth leaders, including previous competition winners, on some of the biggest challenges facing the world, according to the statement.
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