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Ela Gandhi and Anita Bose headline GOPIO webinar
The event aimed to highlight diaspora women’s leadership, share experiences, and promote gender equality worldwide.
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Staff Reporter - Wed, 18, Mar 2026
- 04:41 EDT
- 27
Ela Gandhi and Anita Bose-Pfaff / Wikimedia commons
Ela Gandhi, granddaughter of Mahatma Gandhi, and Anita Bose-Pfaff, daughter of Subhash Chandra Bose, spoke about the challenges women face in society and leadership at a March 14 webinar hosted by the Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO).
The webinar, titled 'Indian Diaspora Women: Leading and Transforming the Social, Educational, Political, and Corporate Spheres', was hosted by the Women’s Council Wing of GOPIO and brought together speakers and participants from South Africa, Germany, India, Mauritius, the United Kingdom, the Caribbean, the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
ALSO READ: GOPIO webinar recognizes Diaspora Indians in Global Business
The webinar was led by GOPIO Women’s Council Chair and Southern California resident Charu Shivakumar, who introduced the council’s mission to empower diaspora women through networking, education and leadership development.
Dr. Neeraja Arun Gupta, the moderator, emphasized the theme “Give to Gain” and introduced the distinguished speakers, including Ela Gandhi, a South African peace activist and former politician, and Prof. Anita Bose-Pfaff, an Austrian economist.
Gandhi, the chief guest of the webinar, shared her experiences as a politician in South Africa, highlighting the historical struggle for women’s political representation and her role in advocating for women’s participation in negotiations that led to democratic reforms. She discussed the challenges women still face, including the triple burden of work, home and childcare, and emphasized the need for shared responsibility and societal change to achieve gender equality.
Prof. Bose-Pfaff shared her experiences as a half-Indian scholar and professor in Europe, discussing the challenges of cultural identity and gender equality across different countries, while highlighting the progress made in education but noting ongoing barriers in professional spheres.
She also shared her father Netaji Bose’s views on women’s rights and their role in society, citing the example of the Indian National Army’s first woman leader, Captain Lakshmi Sahgal.
Apart from them, Connecticut State Senator Prof. Sujata Gadkar-Wilcox also shared her experience, highlighting the struggles she faced as the first Indian American and first Asian American woman senator in Connecticut, and spotlighting the difficulties women, especially those from diverse backgrounds, encounter in politics due to patriarchy and cultural norms.
The event also featured addresses from NVIDIA board member Dr. Aarti Shah, Gujarat University Vice Chancellor Dr. Neerja Gupta and pageant director Ruchika Arora.
Siddharth Jain, GOPIO international general secretary, delivered the vote of thanks and hailed the speakers, GOPIO leadership and members across various chapters and councils who were in attendance.
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