Smriti Irani, Wendy Sherman to address summit on Women's empowerment

Top women leaders from India and the United States, including Union Minister of Women and Child Development Smriti Irani, Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, and US President's top advisor Neera Tanden will address the first-ever US-India Alliance for Women's Economic Empowerment Shatter Summit here.

To be joined by top diplomats and officials from the two countries, the day-long summit co-hosted by the US Department of State and the Shatter Foundation, the summit will celebrate the United States' and India's joint commitment to invest in and economically empower women and girls.

Women's participation in the economy is not just good for the world, but also good for business.

Being held at the Foggy Bottom headquarters of the State Department here on January 26, the summit will feature eminent speakers from both sides including Surgeon General Dr Vivek Murthy, Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, India's Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu, Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Donald Lu, popular Indian American actor Kal Pen, Mukesh Aghi from US India Strategic and Partnership Forum, and Nisha Desai Biswal from US Chambers of Commerce.

Sherman will deliver opening remarks at the first-ever US-India Alliance for Women's Economic Empowerment Shatter Summit, the State Department said in a media release.

Assistant to the President and Director of the White House Gender Policy Council Jennifer Klein will deliver the keynote address, it said.

The Shatter Summit is an initiative of the US-India Alliance for Women's Economic Empowerment, a public-private partnership between the US Department of State, US Agency for International Development, US-India Strategic Partnership Forum, and George Washington University that aims to catalyze private sector, civil society, and government commitments in the United States and India to advance women's economic empowerment in India.