British High Commission invites applications from young women for chance to head diplomatic mission for a day

The British High Commission has invited applications from Indian women aged 18-23 for a chance to head the diplomatic mission for a day. The pan-India competition is being organised to celebrate the International Day of the Girl Child.

To apply to be ‘High Commissioner for a Day’, applicants must record and upload a one-minute video on ‘how can young people best support tackling the global challenge of climate change?’ The video must be shared on either Twitter, Facebook or Instagram by tagging @UKinIndia and using the hashtags #DayoftheGirl. The deadline to apply is 22 September 2021.

Alex Ellis, High Commissioner to India, said: “The impact of COVID-19 on education around the world will be long term, particularly for girls. This is why at the UK-hosted G7 Summit earlier this year, leaders from around the world agreed ambitious global targets to get more girls into school. Empowering and educating girls is also one of Prime Minister Modi's central campaigns. I am delighted to note that this year nearly 60% of UK’s Chevening fellowships and 52% of the scholarships for India were awarded to women.”

“The International Day of the Girl Child is an important moment to recognise that educating all girls everywhere is not just the right thing to do, it is one of the smartest investments we can make to build a better, more equitable world. Through the ‘High Commissioner for a Day’ competition, I want to shine a light on brilliant young women and for them to show their even younger peers in school, that anything is possible,” he added.

The British High Commission has run the ‘High Commissioner for a Day’ competition annually since 2017. Last year’s competition was won by 18-year-old Chaitanya Venkateswaran, whose day as the High Commissioner included learning about gender representation in the media, interacting with senior police officers from Madhya Pradesh and Telangana, and launching the British Council STEM Tracer Study documenting the stories of Indian women scholars.