In this episode, we’ll explore how the intersection of gender and technology is a space of both greater empowerment and greater vulnerability. Nishtha Satyam, our guest for this episode, will share her experience with technology, the larger problems that women have when interacting with technology, how misinformation impairs politics and democracy, and more.

Nishtha is the current head of office for Timor-Leste in UN Women, the entity of the United Nations that is dedicated to working toward gender equality and women's empowerment. She was the former deputy country representative for the UN Women in India and the youngest woman to head a country office in the UN Women amongst 193 countries. Nishtha is an unapologetic feminist, a trained economist with a keen interest in applied macroeconomics and fiscal policy. She's a loud advocate of the urgency to mainstream women across the marketplace, workplace, and community.

We have a very special guest joining us for this episode – Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights Uzra Zeya. Over her distinguished three-decades-plus career in diplomacy and peace building, Under Secretary Zeya has had a front-row seat to shaping the role of the U.S. Government abroad, including its work in promoting democracy.

As this year marks 75 years of the U.S.-India relationship, Under Secretary Zeya shares key achievements that helped build these two strong democracies. We also get a glimpse of her journey so far, her idea of an ideal democracy, and what today’s youth can focus on to build a stronger democracy.

In this episode, we’ll explore how public policy forms a strong pillar when it comes to strengthening democratic society. We have with us Dr Simi who is the CEO and Editorial Director at the Impact and Policy Research Institute (IMPRI). She has a PhD in American Studies from Jawaharlal Nehru University’s School of International Studies and was a Fulbright Fellow at Ohio State University in the United States. Her research areas include agriculture and foreign policy in the United States and India, international security studies, sustainable development, climate change, gender justice, the urban environment, and food security. In this episode, Dr Simi Mehta will share her experience of research work with diverse groups and of advancing conversations on the intersection of policy and politics. Dr Simi will also help us understand how today’s youth, especially women, can prepare themselves for a career in the field of public policy.