The Australian High Commission in New Delhi marked the International Day of Women in Diplomacy by spotlighting the contributions of its female diplomats, past and present, in shaping the Australia–India relationship. Observed on 24 June, the day recognises the growing presence of women in global diplomacy, a field historically dominated by men.
Harinder Sidhu, who served as High Commissioner to India from 2016 to 2020, was one of only a handful of female heads of mission in New Delhi at the time. Public reports from her tenure noted that fewer than one in ten diplomatic missions in India were led by women. Globally, women held just over 21 per cent of ambassadorial roles in 2023, according to United Nations data — a rise from previous decades but still well short of parity.
Australia’s own record shows progress, though uneven. Penelope Wensley was the first woman to serve as High Commissioner to India, from 2001 to 2004. Her role also included being non-resident Ambassador to Bhutan, a common dual accreditation in the region. Wensley’s career later saw her serve as Governor of Queensland and as a leading voice in environmental and diplomatic circles.
Today, Sarah Storey serves as the Deputy High Commissioner in New Delhi, bringing with her a career that has spanned Washington D.C., Bangkok, Brussels and Port Moresby. Her work in India focuses not just on diplomacy, but on people-to-people ties, development, and regional engagement.
The push for inclusion is not just symbolic. In 2019, during the global ‘Girls Take Over’ campaign supported by UN Women, 20-year-old Anjali briefly stepped into the High Commissioner’s shoes for a day. It was part of a broader push to show young women what leadership can look like—and where it can lead.
Diplomatic ties between Australia and India date back to the early 1940s, when a trade office was first established in Sydney. In recent years, the relationship has expanded rapidly across trade, security, education, and migration. Within this framework, women on both sides are increasingly playing central roles.
That includes India’s team in Australia, where women like Counsellor Shalini Duggal continue to represent Indian interests. Back in Delhi, Australian missions have hosted initiatives like the Australia–India Women’s Leadership Forum, launched in 2024, and supported the Women in Trade program in collaboration with India’s Ministry of Women and Child Development in 2023.
These efforts are more than performative. They reflect changing norms within diplomatic institutions, where gender diversity is slowly being seen as part of strategic capacity rather than just representational fairness.
There is still a long road ahead. While progress is measurable, the presence of women at senior levels remains uneven. But as more appointments like Sidhu’s and Storey’s take place, and as new generations of women watch from both inside and outside the service, the Australia–India partnership is quietly being shaped by a new mix of voices. And many of those voices now belong to women.
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