Never thought of myself as a woman in man’s world: Nirupama Rao
LUCKNOW: Former foreign secretary Nirupama Rao on Tuesday said she had no regrets choosing foreign service as a career, as diplomacy was a profession that had given her invaluable lessons on how wars were created or prevented and how negotiations succeeded or failed.
“Looking back on my years in diplomacy, I realize that I never for a moment thought of myself as a woman in a man’s world. I felt I was like the rest, that nothing could stop me from achieving what the men could. There was no glass ceiling, said Rao.
Rao was addressing the first Tehrim Dass memorial lecture organised jointly by the Avadh Girls Degree College (AGDC), Institute for Career Studies (ICS) and the Dass family at the Amity University. This lecture series, instituted by the ICS and the Dass family will be an annual International Women’s day event at the AGDC.
The retired IFS officer told the gathering that the place of women in diplomacy had evolved greatly over the decades. “Women have brought a greater and more holistic understanding to the resolution of complex, sensitive issues and are wired well to build bridges, to strengthen harmony and for peace building,” she said, recalling how the Indian Foreign Service had come to be far more accommodating of women officers and how the efforts of pioneer Indian women diplomats like CB Muthamma had contributed to this process. She also recounted how she had been deeply influenced by the lives of three Indian women: Hansa Mehta, Vijayalakshmi Pandit and Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay.
Earlier, educationist Amrita Dass introduced Nirupama Rao, saying that her accomplishments are were impressive and inspiring. U Chaturvedi, principal of Avadh Girls Degree College, welcomed all the participants while Zarine Viccajee, president of the SGDC, spoke about Tehrim Dass whom she had known for several years as a friend and co manager of the college.