Biden’s administration to comprise yet another Indian-American at a crucial role, Envoy for Global Women’s Issues.              

Dr. Geeta Rao Gupta, an Indian-American leader on gender, has been appointed to the position of Ambassador-at-large for the Office of Global Women’s Issues in the State Department. The 67-year-old leader on gender, women’s and AIDS-related issues is serving as an executive director of the 3D Program for Girls and Women and senior fellow at the United Nations Foundation since 2017. She is a popular advocate for women’s economic and social empowerment over fighting disease, poverty, and hunger. She served as the deputy executive director for UNICEF and the vice-chair of the board for the GAVI Alliance from 2011 to 2016.

The Secretary’s Office of Global Women’s Issues tweeted regarding the confirmation of Dr. Gupta for the role of Ambassador-at-Large for the Office of Global Women’s Issues. The tweet emphasized State Department’s interest to witness Dr. Gupta’s efforts to promote women's and girls’ rights via US foreign policy.

Nominated by President Biden, Dr. Gupta received confirmation earlier the week with a vote of 51 to 47. Dr. Gupta is internationally recognized as a leader to promote gender equality and women’s economic security. She has worked closely with various UN agencies and programs and acted as an advisor at the UNAIDS Global Coalition on Women and AIDS, and is a board member of InterAction and the Moriah Fund. She held the co-chair position of the UN Millennium Project Task Force on Education and Gender Equality.

Popular UN leaders like Peter Yeo, Senior Vice President for the UN Foundation, and Michelle Milford Morse, Vice-President of the UN Foundation’s Girls and Women Strategy congratulated Dr. Gupta on her nomination and assorted their expectations for an established leadership. Dr. Gupta’s expertise in gender and development extends to various decades and she also served on an oversight committee for WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme. She co-chaired the World Bank’s Global-based Violence Task Force and held the President position at the International Center for Research on Women. She has won numerous awards such as the 2006 Anne Roe Award from Harvard University and the ‘Women Who Mean Business’ Award from the Washington Business Journal in 2007. Dr. Gupta holds a Ph.D. in Social Psychology from Bangalore University, India, and an MPhil and master's degree from the University of Delhi.