In India, Seychelles First Lady urges girls to break barriers, ‘reach for the skies’

Seychelles First Lady Veronique Herminie has urged girls to break traditional career barriers and aim high, drawing on her own experience of rising to a senior leadership role in the male-dominated construction industry.

Addressing the Women Leadership and Diplomacy Summit in Greater Noida, Herminie said girls should not allow their academic background or gender to limit their ambitions.

“Why not space science? Why not build satellites? Why not reach for the moon?” she asked participants of Mission ShakthiSAT, an international programme encouraging girls to pursue science, technology, innovation, leadership and space exploration.

Herminie, an ACCA-certified chartered accountant, said she stepped into a senior role in the construction sector despite having no technical background in the field. She spent more than seven years in the industry before rising to Deputy CEO of its holding company, where she helped lead a workforce of more than 1,000.

The First Lady also urged women in leadership positions to mentor young girls and share their knowledge and opportunities with the next generation.

ShakthiSAT is a global space education initiative led by Indian aerospace start-up Space Kidz India. Launched on January 16, 2025, it brings together 12,000 girls from 108 countries for training in satellite building and payload development for missions to low Earth orbit and a lunar trajectory.

Welcoming Seychelles’ participation in the initiative, Herminie stressed the importance of bringing the knowledge gained through the programme back home.

She also highlighted the establishment earlier this year of a department in the Ministry of Education focusing on STEM, artificial intelligence and innovation, saying the experience gained by Seychellois participants could help strengthen STEM education in the country.