GOPIO facilitates direct descendants of Mahatma Gandhi and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose -- Ela Gandhi, Prof. Anita Bose-Pfaff, to be on one platform, for the first time

GOPIO’s Women’s Council Hosts Webinar on Indian Diaspora Women: Leading and Transforming the Social, Educational, Political, and Corporate Spheres.

The Women’s Council Wing of the Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) hosted a webinar on March 14th titled “INDIAN DIASPORA WOMEN: LEADING AND TRANSFORMING THE SOCIAL, EDUCATIONAL, POLITICAL, AND CORPORATE SPHERES.” Held virtually, the webinar brought together speakers and participants from South Africa, Germany, India, Mauritius, United Kingdom, Caribbean, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The panel was put together by GOPIO Women’s Council Chair Charu Shivakumar from Southern California.

GOPIO Chairman Dr. Thomas Abraham, welcomed participants and highlighted the organization's global reach and advocacy for the Indian diaspora and its achievements in promoting dual nationality. GOPIO President Prakash Shah announced upcoming GOPIO events, including monthly webinars and a biennial convention in Mumbai during December 18-20, 2026.

GOPIO Women’s Council Chair Shivakumar introduced the GOPIO Women's 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 Smt. Ela Gandhi, granddaughter of Mahatma Gandhi, and Professor Anita Bose-Pfaff, daughter of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.

Chief Guest Ela Gandhi, granddaughter of Mahatma Gandhi 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. Sujata Gadkar-Wilcox, Senator from State of Connecticut, shared her experience as the first Indian-American and first Asian American Woman Senator in Connecticut, highlighting the difficulties women, especially those from diverse backgrounds, encounter in politics due to patriarchy and cultural norms. She stressed the need for grassroots movements to promote equity and change structural barriers, such as pay disparities, to enable more women to enter and succeed in political roles.

Prof. Anita Bose-Pfaff, daughter of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, 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. The conversation touched on the diverse experiences of women leaders, including cultural challenges and the need for continued advocacy to prevent setbacks during crises. Prof. Bose-Pfaff shared her father Netaji's views on women's rights and their role in society citing an example that the INA’s first women leader was Captain Lakshmi Sahgal.

Dr. Aarti Shah, a Board member of NVIDIA, Northwestern Mutal and Sandoz as well a couple of non-profits, emphasized the importance of heritage, values, and education in achieving success, while also highlighting lessons from her career and the concept of servant leadership. She further emphasized the message of spirituality by listing the Four E’s: Energy Energetic Edge Execute.

Dr. Neerja Gupta, the Vice Chancellor of Gujarat University in Ahmedabad, and moderator for the session brought out the challenges women still face in leadership roles and the need for continued efforts to ensure gender equality.

Ms. Ruchika Arora shared her journey with the Miss India U.S.A. pageant and her increasing involvement with International Women's Day over the years. She recited a poem highlighting the need for women's rights and justice, referencing the UN's theme for 2026. She emphasized the importance of pageants in developing skills and confidence for young women, encouraging networking and idea sharing. 

Writer and author of many books and autobiographies, Dr. Bhuvan Lall commented that this was the first time in his memory that the direct descendants of Mahatma Gandhi and Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose – Ela Gandhi and Anita Bose-Pfaff were on one platform. GOPIO celebrates this statement.

The meeting further focused on women's leadership and empowerment, with speakers sharing their experiences and perspectives. Ela Gandhi discussed dealing with resistance by understanding others' viewpoints, while Anita Bose-Pfaff emphasized not caring about being seen as a leader but making her voice heard when necessary. The group discussed creating a global network for mentoring younger women leaders, with a request for established leaders to participate. The conversation concluded with a discussion on spirituality and its role in facing challenges, with speakers emphasizing the importance of universal values across different religions.

Siddharth Jain (SID), GOPIO International General Secretary gave the Vote of Thanks to the Chief Guest Ela Gandhi, Speakers: Prof. Sujata Gadkar-Wilcox, Prof. Anita Bose-Pfaff, Dr, Neerja Gupta, Dr. Aarti Shah, Ruchika Arora, Charu Shivakumar, GOPIO Leadership and members across various chapters and councils in attendance. Sid highlighted the four E’s shared by Dr. Aarti Shah, poem by Ruchika Arora and Dr. Neerja Gupta and commented that 50% of all population is women and the balance exists because of them. We recognize the important contributions by all Women.

GOPIO Women’s Council invites Diaspora Women to join its global network. One can join the WhatApp group at https://chat.whatsapp.com/H77drPXbYRT5UAVB5w8eYU?mode=gi_t.

GOPIO Women’s Council can be reached by contacting its Chairperson: Charu Shivakumar, Tel: +1 626-497-5537 or Charu_shivakumar@yahoo.com

For more info on GOPIO contact Sid Jain at +1 (201) 889-8888 or email at Secretary@GOPIO.net.

About GOPIO - Founded in 1989, GOPIO is a non-partisan, not-for-profit, secular organization with Individual Life Members and chapter delegates from over 100 chapters in 36 countries. GOPIO’s volunteers are committed to enhancing cooperation and communication between NRIs/PIOs and the local communities, building networks, bonds, friendships, alliances, and the camaraderie of citizens and colleagues alike. GOPIO volunteers believe that when they help network the global Indian community, they facilitate making tomorrow a better world for the Indian Diaspora, the countries they live in and India.