During an International Women’s Day celebration event at Downing Street in London, Britain’s First Lady, Akshata Murty, commended her mother Sudha Murty as a role model for women and emphasised the value of mentors for women and girls in business.
On Friday, the 43-year-old businesswoman and wife of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak hosted a mentoring session for girls and young women, featuring female role models and business executives. The occasion was a component of her ongoing “Lessons at 10” initiative, which gives kids from all across the United Kingdom a chance to peek behind the scenes of No. 10 Downing Street, the prime minister’s office and residence.
I’m thrilled to be honouring women in business on this International Women’s Day. “It’s wonderful to have a special mentoring session for girls and young women at Downing Street with female role models and business leaders,” commented Murty.
“I am aware of the incredible amount of labour required to operate a firm. My mother was able to push limits in her academic and professional endeavours and gain firsthand knowledge of the technological revolution thanks to her pursuits in science, technology, engineering, and maths, she said.
In recognition of her contributions to social work and education, author and philanthropist Sudha Murty, who started her career in computer science and went on to become the first female engineer employed at TATA Engineering and Locomotive Company (TELCO), was nominated as a member of the Rajya Sabha last week.
“I hope that other girls and women are motivated to follow their own passions by the role models in their lives,” continued Akshata Murty, who was most recently the director of Catamaran Ventures UK, an early-stage investment business that specialises in British products.
With the support of notable visitors, business leaders, and nonprofit organisations, Murty established “Lessons at 10” to inspire kids from all across the UK and foster a love of learning upon relocating to No. 10 Downing Street following Rishi Sunak’s election as Conservative Party leader in October 2022.
Last week’s International Women’s Day was organised in conjunction with the Girls’ Network, a nonprofit that works with secondary schools and universities around England to provide girls between the ages of 14 and 19 with a year-long mentorship program to help them achieve their goals.
“By inviting girls to No. 10, we hope they will realise that areas like this are just as much for them as they are for everyone else. Katie Thiselton, Co-Executive Director of the Girls’ Network, stated, “I’m sure the girls will come away feeling inspired and motivated in their own journeys. It will be a memorable experience for all involved.”
Subsequently, the Sunaks threw a reception in Downing Street to honour remarkable women leaders from a variety of fields, including business, civil society, and the National Health Service (NHS).
“I pledge to implement the sustainable changes required to create a more promising future for women and girls,” stated Rishi Sunak.
“And since I became Prime Minister, we’ve made enormous strides: we’ve invested millions to make sure women feel safe on our streets, raised standards and supported STEM (science, tech, engineering, and maths) careers to ensure girls receive a world-class education, given women more options with the largest childcare expansion in England’s history, and launched the Women’s Health Strategy and Pharmacy First to make it easier for women to get the care they need more quickly,” the Prime Minister said.
A display of female-led small enterprises, such as a family-run jewellery company, a hair products company, and a boxed wine company, was on display at the Downing Street reception.
