Britain’s First Lady Akshata Murty praised her mother Sudha Murty and termed her as ‘a role model for women’ during her address at the International Women’s Day celebration event at Downing Street. Murty was speaking about the importance of mentors for women and girls in business when she mentioned her mother.
“I’m so pleased to be marking this International Women’s Day by celebrating women in business. It is fantastic to host a special mentoring session with female role models and business leaders for girls and young women at Downing Street,” she said.
“I know the phenomenal work that goes into running a business. My mother’s endeavours in science, technology, engineering and maths allowed her to push boundaries both academically and professionally and gave her a ringside seat to the technological revolution,” Murty added.
Sudha Murty was the first woman engineer hired at TATA Engineering and Locomotive Company (TELCO). Murty is also a recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Bal Sahitya Puraskar, Padma Shri (2006) and Padma Bhushan (2023) awards. She is also popular for her contribution to Kannada and English literature.
Akshata Murty hosted the International Women’s Day event alongside ‘The Girls’ Network,’ a charity organisation in England. “We hope that by being invited into No. 10, girls will see that spaces like this are just as much for them as anyone else. It will be a memorable experience for all involved and I’m sure the girls will come away feeling inspired and motivated in their own journeys,” said Katie Thiselton, Co-Executive Director of the Girls’ Network.
Later, the Sunaks also hosted a reception at Downing Street to celebrate the occasion. “I am committed to delivering the long-term change needed to build a brighter future for women and girls,” said UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
“And we’ve made huge progress since I became Prime Minister – investing millions to ensure women feel safe on our streets, ensuring girls receive a world class education by boosting standards and championing STEM [science, tech, engineering and maths] careers, giving women more choice with the largest ever childcare expansion in England’s history and launching the Women’s Health Strategy and Pharmacy First, making it easier for women to get the care they need more quickly,” he added.
(With inputs from PTI)
