30 girls across India take over influential leadership positions

New Delhi, October 12

On International Day of the Girl Child Tuesday, 30 girls from all over India took over leadership positions of ambassadors, high commissioners across diplomatic missions, corporate and government bodies for the day, NGO Plan India said.

Through these symbolic takeovers, these highly determined gender champions smashed gender stereotypes, encouraged positive discourses, called out on discriminatory social norms and mobilized supporters for a gender equal society, Plan India said in a statement.

Mohammed Asif, Executive Director, Plan India, said though symbolic in nature, by occupying such positions of power the “girl changemakers” are able to amplify their voice to a larger audience.

It also serves as an inspiration for them as they go about planning for their career and prominent roles in the society.

Orly Goldschmidt, Head of Public Diplomacy, Embassy of Israel in India, said: “It was our great pleasure to collaborate with Plan India on such an important campaign. We were very happy to welcome Samta in our Embassy. She is a bright, young girl, with lots of dreams and ambitions. Interacting with her and getting to know her was inspiring. I wish her all the best for her future endeavours.” One of the 30 girls who have taken over influential positions across diplomatic missions and elsewhere in the country, Samta has been placed at Israel embassy.

Embassies where these girls carried out the symbolic takeovers from envoys included Mexico, Australia, Canada, Ireland, Germany and Finland, Plan India said. PTI