Geeta Rao Gupta: An Indian-born leader has been sworn in as Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues.
Who is Dr Geeta Rao Gupta?
US Vice President Kamala Harris swore in Indian-American Dr. Geeta Rao Gupta as the State Department’s Ambassador at Large for Global Women’s Issues.
Dr. Rao Gupta was born in Mumbai in 1956 and raised in Delhi, where she was first exposed to the different gender disparities that exist in society. While she had always been passionate about these concerns, the gender activist began active in many gender issues while attending the University of Delhi.
Gupta collaborated closely with a number of United Nations (UN) agencies and programs. She was the Executive Director of the United Nations Foundation’s 3D Programme for Girls and Women. She was also co-chair of the United Nations Millennium Project Task Force on Education and Gender Equality.
Gupta’s services extend beyond the UN, as she co-convened a UNAIDS-commissioned worldwide project to address the global response to HIV/AIDS over the next 25 years. She was also named as UNICEF’s Deputy Executive Director by the UN Secretary-General.