Ritu Jha–
“Women have come a long way, but they continue to face discrimination and violence,” said Prathima Reddy, the wife of Consul General of India in San Francisco, Dr K. Srikar Reddy. She was speaking at the annual Women’s Day celebration event “NAARI’, hosted jointly by the Association of Indo Americans (AIA) and the Consulate General of India San Francisco on March 15 in Sunnyvale, California.
Reddy, who came across as fearless, confident and conscientious in her thoughts and speech, told indica on the sidelines of the event, “I’m glad to represent the Consulate General of India and to give away the awards to all the women who did the very best in their profession. Women have come a long way, with their achievements and their courage, but there’s a lot to be done.”
She said discrimination, violence, and instability push women to mental health crises. “But we should remember the strong women who have become India’s prime ministers and presidents,” Reddy said.
She said she is happy to serve the community in the US. “I’m glad I could find such a loving community here,” she said. “This is different because our presence in US is much bigger than anywhere else. We need more such events and I hope we’ll be doing more like this in future.”
The Reddys have been in San Francisco for about six months. She said she has witnessed so many success stories among women, “be it entrepreneurs who have revolutionized industries, scientists that are making groundbreaking discoveries, artists captivating a worldwide audience. They have shown the way in every field.”
She said, “In India, women are respected and we worship our mother goddesses like Lakshmi, Saraswati, Shakti, and even village deities. India had a woman Prime Minister, Indra Gandhi, way back in 1966, a woman President Pratibha Patil in 2007, and currently, Droupadi Murmu, “our second woman President who hails from the eastern heart of Odisha and belongs to a minority ethnicity called Santhal, a tribal community.”
Reddy described how President Murmu started her career many decades ago as a school teacher and how, today, she proudly stands as the second woman President of India. “Her journey is incredibly inspiring,” Reddy said.
She reminded everyone, though, how there is still a lot of work left to be done on account of “the injustice, violence, and discrimination women have to face.” She urged participants to consider contributing to this cause. “We can mentoring our children on gender-related issues, advocate for equitable policies, or promote women’s achievements so that future generations can be inspired.”
When AIA’s hosts Vijaya Aasuri and Ramesh Konda asked her about the successful professional career she gave up in order to travel around the world with her diplomat spouse, Reddy shared, “My career was thriving. But then, I had to quit. As a diplomat’s wife, I have many responsibilities. Representing my country is prestigious, charming, and elegant, but it is not always a bed of roses. There are many sacrifices we diplomatic wives have to make in order to follow our husbands all over the world.”
She said one of her sacrifices was her career. “We could not continue with our careers, moving every three years, not just countries but continents. There are not many opportunities. Many diplomatic wives do not get work permits, and that’s the sad part.”
She added, “The depression or the stress associated with relocating every few years, making new friends and constantly trying to settle our lives is not easy. Once you settle, it’s time to move again. The most stressful part is finding the words to encourage our children to make a new start every three years. It’s not easy, but we are trying with all the love that the community shows us.”
Women have come a long way, but a lot needs to be done: Prathima Reddy, SF Consul General’s wife at community event
