May 6, 2018
Veteran actress and social activist Shabana Azmi has been
nominated as the Global Leadership Ambassador for Women in Public Service
Project (WPSP), a Hillary Clinton-founded programme aimed at empowering the next
generation of women around the world.
According to the official WPSP
website, it is an innovative initiative to advance women to positions of
influence in governments and civic organisations worldwide, and was founded by
Clinton in partnership with the US Department of State and the Seven Sister
Colleges of Barnard College, Bryn Mawr College, Mount Holyoke College, Smith
College and Wellesley College.
"I am honoured to be nominated as Global
Leadership Ambassador for Women in Public Service Project at Wilson Centre,
USA," Shabana tweeted on Sunday.
WPSP is a programme of the Global
Women's Leadership Initiative. It also mobilises women on issues of critical
importance in public service.
Shabana, who has been speaking up for
women's rights and has been working towards uplifting women's status in the
society through her Mijwan Welfare Society, was congratulated by actors like
Tisca Chopra and Divya Dutta.
Acknowledging Tisca, Shabana wrote: "Women
leaders can change the world. When women have a seat at the table, they lend
their unique perspective to policy decisions that impact them and their
communities. I commend WPSP Director Gwen Young and Advisor Sumera Haque for
this urgent project."
While thanking Divya, who said Shabana was the
"best one to bring in the change", she wrote: "Representation is more than
numbers we need to take account of where women are present or absent in decision
making. Building data and evidence base for women's leadership is critical."
The veteran actress emphasised that WPSP's goal of 50x50 is an important
mission that needs people to step up and enable and empower more women to lead.