WASHINGTON: Over 20 prominent women from various ethnicities, including a few Indian-Americans, were honoured at the US Capitol Hill with the Women of Excellence award in Washington.
Longtime US Rep. Danny Davis, Congressman Jonathan Jackson, son of civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson, Congresswoman Delia Ramirez and Indian-American Congressman Raja Krishnamurty, presented the awards at the 11th Annual Congressional International Women’s Day Gala organised jointly by American Multiethnic Coalition and Multiethnic Advisory Task Force at the US Capitol.
The honorees are politicians, journalists, social activists, business and academia from varied ethnicities, each making significant contributions to their respective fields, demonstrating remarkable leadership skills and a commitment to gender equality.
Those who were felicitated on occasion were US politician Jennifer Rajkumar, NASA Goddard Deputy Director of Engineering and Technology Dr Joanne ‘Joe’ Hill-Kittle, Dr Mercedes Martinez, Chicago-based psychiatrists, journalist Reena Bhardwaj and others. “All women, regardless of background or circumstances, deserve the chance to succeed and this award is a testimony of that,” Bhardwaj said on receiving the award.
Dr Hill-Kittle said, “So honoured to receive this award, and be recognised as one of the top 20 global women of excellence on International Women’s Day.”
Davis who has been in US Congress since 1996, wanted to put the global women’s award recipients on the biggest stage possible, so he invited all 20 honorees to Capitol Hill for the awards ceremony. Coinciding with International Women’s Day, the event marked the second time the celebration has been held at the Hill.
At the event, a call of action was delivered by eight-year-old Samara Karkara from New York, calling for girls’ and women’s leadership in education and technology, making her the youngest Indian-American girl to make a call to action at Capitol Hill. (ANI)