South Australia Governor Frances Adamson speaks at the 'Women in Leadership' event in Bengaluru on Monday.
Credit: DH PHOTO
Reflecting on her journey from a junior diplomat in 1985 to becoming the first woman secretary of Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) 31 years later, she described how the women in leadership strategy became a core part of institutional transformation within the DFAT. "It wasn't just a phrase," she said at the 'Women in Leadership' reception here on Monday. "It became a real strategy with real targets."
Recalling how women pushed the DFAT to match leadership representation with recruitment numbers, the 64-year-old said that the number of women in ambassadorial roles rose from 25%, when she took office, to 46%, by the time she stepped down.
She noted that her Bengaluru visit emphasised community connection and bilateral cooperation. "It's not the constitutional or ceremonial roles I love most — it's the community role," she said.
Bengaluru, she said, holds special significance as the "global tech hub" and a model of innovation that resonates with South Australia's growing strength in machine learning, water technology, and space research.
"We're home to the Australian Institute for Machine Learning and the Australian Space Agency," she said. "There's so much common ground between our ecosystems."
Her visit came amid increasing educational and technological collaboration between India and Australia. South Australia, she noted, has become a top destination for Indian international students — especially young women — who go on to excel in schools and leadership positions.
Hillary McGeachy, the Australian Consul General in Bengaluru, and Jane Johnston, CEO of StudyAdelaide, were among those present on the occasion.