WOMEN SPECIAL...... WOMEN WITH A MISSION (2)

WOMEN WITH A MISSION (2)

The American Dream-Come-True

MaryKay Loss Carlson Chargé d'Affaires & deputy chief of mission, US embassy

Reached India: August 2016

Credentials: She was principal deputy executive secretary in the department of state's executive secretariat in Washington, DC. Also served in Santo Domingo, Nairobi and Maputo

What she loves in India: Delhi's lush greenery, flowers and gardens

She's the woman caught in the middle of a big transition in the US administration. But MaryKay Loss Carlson looks at the change as a great opportunity to follow up on the strong legacy set up not just by the Barack Obama administration, but also presidents before him. “The framework is strong and the platform has taken off under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. We now hope to see a tremendous acceleration in the positive trajectory of Indo-US relations under President Donald Trump,“ she says.

Carlson says the posting has come at a very exciting time and on an assignment which is a dream-come-true. “This is a really good place to be in also because India has such a long and strong tradition of women leaders in positions of power at the highest level,“ she says.

She looks forward to travelling in India not just to enjoy the diversity of language and culture but also to meet people. “The Indians are noisy and the democracy is messy; but it's the same in America and that's the connection.“ She says while the department of state has gender equality in the middle and lower ranks, things become tough for women at senior positions. Across cultures, priorities are considered different for men and women, she says. “The reason why women may not be vying for deputy chief of mission or chief of mission jobs is partly because they may have elder parents to look after at home and may shy away from bidding for senior positions halfway around the world.“

In the first ten years of her diplomatic career she thought she would remain single but met her husband Aubrey Carlson, a fellow foreign services official, during a trip to Washington, DC. “I had to leave the job I was doing and make a career decision in moving to China because my husband was posted there,“ she recalls. Although she hated making the choice at that time, she believes it turned out be good in the long run.

Ishani Duttagupta

ETM5MAR17