Seven Indian Women Who Have Made Us Proud In The World Of Diplomacy

All Indian parents, at least once in their lives, want their offspring to prepare for IAS. This, however, is quite the misnomer. The term IAS actually  refers to all civil services under the UPSC. It Includes the Indian Administrative Services, Indian Police Services, Indian Revenue Services and of course, Indian Foreign Services.

The beauty and glamour of being Ambassadors and High Commissioners to various nations always has its own charm. Today, Discuss you to a number of highly accomplished women who have been the pioneers of the Indian diplomacy.A tribute to Indian Women Diplomat

Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit

History remembers her brother as the first Prime Minister of Independent India and her niece as the first female prime minister of India. Even when people write about Gandhi and Nehru Family, she seldom gets to share their fame. Everyone knows Jawahar Lal Nehru and Indira Gandhi. Yet, how many of us have heard of this diplomat of modern India? The first Indian woman to hold a cabinet in pre independence India, Vijayalakshmi Pandit was also a part of the constituent assembly. Moreover, She was also India’s first ambassador to the Soviet Union; after which she went on the be the Indian ambassador at United States and Mexico, followed by Spain and Ireland. Not just that, She was also the first female president of the United Nations General Assembly, an illustrious achievement in itself.Biography of Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit

C.B. Muthamma

While talking of breaking glass ceilings, if there is one name that must be included in our present discussion, it is that of Ms. Chonira Beliappa Muthamma. Not only was CB Muthamma the first woman to clear Indian Civil Services, she was also the first female IFS officer. But the story of her sheer grit, ladies and gentlemen, has just begun. However, Muthamma was determined to get her choice of service. She convincingly argued her case, stood her ground and joined the foreign services in 1949, becoming India’s first IFS woman officer. Incredibly, she had to sign an undertaking which stated that she would resign if she got married. However, after a couple of years, the rules were changed.The landmark case pushed the government to change its rules regarding these discriminating laws. And women now represent 18.5% of the total foreign officers of the country. However, it was this case that set off the trigger for many women to pursue careers in diplomacy while simultaneously leading a normal family life. C.B. Muthamma has served as an inspiration to all the female diplomats, not only in India but across the world.

Meera Shankar

India’s second female ambassador of the United States of America, (the first being Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit), Meera Shankar is a pass out of the 1973 batch of IFS. She served as a director at the office of the Prime Minister of India as well as at various ministries including the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the Ministry of External Affairs. Shankar is as famous for her diplomatic ease as she is for the Skill of her work. Spending more than two decades as a diplomat in Washington, Shankar has also served as the Indian ambassador to Germany. Half the story by Ambassador Meera Shankar

Eenam Gambhir

She is posted as Counsellor in the Permanent mission of India to the United Nations in New York. She is a 2005-batch IFS officer and is presently posted at the Permanent Mission of India to the UN at New York.In UN, Eenam Gambhir is representing India for the "Security Council Reform, Counter-terrorism, Cyber security issues, Security Council.She rose to prominence in Indian media outlets after she condemned the actions of Pakistan in United Nation's assembly. Gambhir attacked Pakistan on the topic of sponsorship of terrorism. She stated that "the land of Taxila, the greatest site of learning in ancient India, is now host to the  league of terrorists around the globe".Eenam Gambhir's Speech at UN

Nirupama Rao

Nirupama Menon Rao joined the IFS in 1973. She is responsible for breaking many glass celeings when it comes to women in the IFS. A career diplomat from the Indian Foreign Service from 1973 to 2011, she served the Government in several important positions including that of the Foreign Secretary of India. She has represented India in several countries during her distinguished career and was the first Indian woman to be appointed High Commissioner to Sri Lanka and Ambassador to China. She was also the first woman spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs. After her retirement, she was appointed Ambassador of India to the United States for a period of two years from 2011 to 2013.Trump, Diplomacy and more by Ambassador Rao

Shamma Jain

Currently serving as the Indian ambassador to Panama, Nicaragua and Costa Rica; Jain has an enviable list of stamps on her passport. Shamma Jain, a pass out of the 1983 batch, has been the Indian ambassador to, inter-alia, Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone and Guinea, Rome and Greece. She was also a notable part of India’s permanent delegation to UNESCO in Paris. As the political counsel for Embassy of India, Washington D.C., she has been responsible for strengthening the political ties between the two nations.Conversation with Shamma Jain

Ruchira Kamboj

A pass out of the 1987 batch, Kamboj has held various important diplomatic positions throughout her career as an IFS officer. From serving in Paris to at the High Commission in Mauritius and the Secretariat of the Commonwealth at London. Kamboj is the only woman to ever serve as India’s chief of protocol. She currently serves as India’s high commissioner to south Africa.Conversation with Ruchira Kamboj

Conclusion

Tact, poise and grace, coupled with strategy and ready presence of mind. Being a diplomat is not an easy job, where even one wrong move could result in the severance of ties between two nations. Protocols must be followed and conventions must be respected.Life of an Ambassador/ High Commissioner