New Delhi: ‘Women in Government’ Conclave organized by Femme First Foundation in collaboration with the Embassy of Israel and The Quint was inaugurated in New Delhi.

This edition of the Women in Government conclave was held from 22nd-24th October, as a hybrid of in-person and virtual events, comprising panel discussions, workshops, and interviews.

The inaugural of the conclave saw women politicians from diverse political parties discuss the challenges of being women in Indian politics. The guest of honor of the event was Rony Yedidia Clein, Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of Israel. ​​The speakers were Yashomati Thakur, Maharashtra Cabinet Minister, Minister of Women and Child Development; Charu Pragya, Media Panelist, BJP; Juhie Singh, National President of the Samajwadi Party women’s wing; Varsha Nikam, Femme First Fellow, Ex-Sarpanch & Joint Secretary, NCP Maharashtra.

In her opening speech, Angellica Aribam, founder of Femme First Foundation, said “Since 2019, the Women in Government platform has been pioneering the discourse of women’s political representation and setting the agenda for women’s leadership in India.”

In a video message from the former Prime Minister of Peru Violeta Bermudez highlighted the importance of women in governance and applauded the mission of organizations like Femme First Foundation.

In her speech, Rony Yedidia Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of Israel said, “For years, Israeli women have been leaders in diplomacy, politics, law, science, medicine, and culture.”

The politicians engaged in a panel discussion on Women in Indian Politics which was moderated by Nishtha Gautam, Sr. Editor, The Quint. During the discussion, Maharashtra’s Cabinet Minister Yashomati Thakur said while women reservation is needed, respecting them in our household is also crucial. Juhie Singh, President of the Samajwadi Party said that “the discourse of women in politics is changing. Women are no longer silent participants. They need to be heard and represented”. BJP Media Panelist, Charu Pragya also mentioned how women panchayats may not have the agency in the first generation but it inspires change in the second/third generation and they take more control. Varsha Nikam, Femme First Fellow, and Ex-sarpanch highlighted the issues of women in the village panchayats, and the lack of opportunities for them.

She thanked Femme First Foundation’s fellowship program for grooming and nurturing her with a support system. She said she got more self-confidence through this platform. All panelists agreed there needs to be a sisterhood of women politicians irrespective of their political ideologies.