Washington: At the moment the world’s attention is focused on the return of Taliban 2.0 in Kabul and his treatment of Afghan women, the US-India dialogue in Washington DC this week provides a visual moment that is striking in gender balance.
Bilateral 2 + 2 session meetings showed US and Indian delegates having a fair woman representation: 3 + 3 women with 3 + 3 men on both sides.
A press release from the Indian Embassy accompanying the photo said the Indian delegation was led together by Vani Rao, a joint secretary (US) at the Ministry of External Affairs and Somnath Ghosh, a joint secretary (international cooperation) at the Ministry of Defense.
US delegation was led by the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Affairs, Dr.
Ely Ratner, along with the representatives of the assistant principle of the Secretary of State for South and Central Asian affairs at the State Department, Ervin Massinga.
Rao was supported by his colleagues, Thelma John David, Chitrangna Singha, and a fourth female diplomat, Prerna Shahi (not visible in the photo).
This is not the first time a woman has been displaying so prominent in the US-Indian dialogue.
Shortly before the former US President Obama began his visit to India in 2011, the Gamut of the US-India bond was handled by women, with Nirupama Rao as a foreign secretary, Meera Shankar as US Ambassador in Washington, and Gaitri Kumar as a joint secretary (America).
The fact that women are a strong part of Indian governance, from the president of the congress until several dozen main ministers are the source of a lot of admiration in the US, even though the gender-related metric is generally gloomy.
The latest stories have highlighted the role of women in the Indian space program.
The latest gender spotlight came amidst global concerns over the return of Taliban in Kabul and how they would treat Afghan women, who had recently been able to emerge from the shadows of Islamic oppression in the country.
In their statement so far, Taliban officials said Afghan women would be allowed to attend universities, but mixed gender classes would be banned.
Women can also continue to work in government in Afghanistan but not guaranteed cabinets or other senior positions, a Taliban spokesman on Friday.
The new fundamentalist dispensation has also conducted an international cricket tour of the Afghan team, but there is no word on the women’s cricket team.
Most Afghan women’s team members were formed in 2007, reportedly evacuated to Australia last week.
The photo of a striking gender balance also came amid a global shame for the US for the new anti-abortion law in Texas which has created the term “Texas Taliban” for Republican Parliament members who engineered the law.