Women must be part of policy & action: Latha Reddy

Women should be central to policy making says former deputy National Security Advisor of India. Latha Reddy who has spent several deep years in foreign service and important posts, insists women can bring valuable change and understanding to policy making. It's no longer about bringing 'soft' skills to be table but the fact that women can contribute to tactical and strategic planning and thinking can make them a great asset.

She was speaking at the MEA-ORF organised DiplomaSHE, in partnership with She The People. This was an effort to broaden the dialogue on women participation in policy making and impact.

Reddy served in the Indian Foreign Service from 1975-2011. During her diplomatic career she served in Lisbon, Washington D.C., Kathmandu, Brasilia, Durban, Vienna and Bangkok. She served as Ambassador of India to Portugal (2004-2006) and to Thailand (2007-2009). She was Secretary (East) in the Ministry of External Affairs in Delhi (2010-2011) with overall charge of India’s bilateral and regional relations with Asia. She was then appointed as India’s Deputy National Security Advisor in the Prime Minister’s Office from 2011-2013.

Reddy has extensive experience in foreign policy, and in bilateral, regional and multilateral negotiations. In addition, she has expertise on security and strategic issues and has worked on strategic technology policies, particularly on cyber issues relating to cyber security policy, international cyber cooperation and Internet governance.