Mr. Speaker, on Wednesday, Meira Kumar was elected unanimously as the speaker of the 15th Lok Sabha, the lower house in the Indian parliament.
Meira Kumar joins other female leaders of India, the likes of Indira Gandhi and current President Pratibha Patil, and business leaders, like the CEO of the ICICI Bank Chanda Kochhar, all of whom inspire millions of women in South Asia.
Ms. Kumar, of Dalit background, has created another milestone as her appointment breaks through centuries of discrimination against the Dalits in India.
Like all fights against social evils, the fight against barriers for women and Dalits is a work in progress.
I wish to officially congratulate Ms. Kumar for this outstanding achievement.