Twenty-one-year-old Shreya Dharmarajan from Chennai got the chance to live a day in the shoes of a diplomat after winning a competition of the British High Commission. With a peak into the U.K.-India partnership in action and a behind-the-scenes look at life as the British High Commissioner, Ms. Shreya, a Teach for India fellow, sat down with The Hindu to share her insights on the experince.
The political science graduate from Lady Shri Ram College won the British High Commissioner for a Day competition, held to commemorate the International Day of the Girl Child on October 11 and got to experience a broad range of diplomatic activities.
Her day was marked with activities such as leading a discussion on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the United Nations. During her college years, she had travelled in electric buses; as the High Commissioner, she got the chance to flag off electric vehicles.
Her interaction with Chevening SheLeads was also something that left a mark. She would be sure to remember the advice offered – that women should stick to their ground and hold on to their principles in the face of heavy criticism, especially on social media.
“I had the opportunity to interact with and learn from inspiring exemplars of women’s leadership in wide-ranging fields. I was fortunate enough to be a part of lively discussions about India’s efforts toward further achieving the SDGs,” Ms. Shreya said.
A Teach for India fellow currently based in Mumbai, she said she was excited to take back her learnings from the day to her young students, who had their own opinions about SDGs and would be sure to have solutions to offer as they lived in spaces where such goals could make a great impact.
Her students were a great inspiration to her while applying for the competition. Ms. Shreya was prompted to find a platform to voice the discussions that were already happening in her classroom, filled with real-life examples of how SDGs could address problems of poverty, gender inequality and more that her students faced.
Alex Ellis, High Commissioner to India but Deputy High Commissioner for the Day, said, “It was fantastic to follow Shreya for the day, her conversations from the role of young women in tackling global challenges to the U.K.-India partnership on science, technology and innovation.”
“The High Commissioner for a Day competition is a great reminder for us all on the potential of a world with gender equality. When women rise, we all rise,” he added.
