Margaret Alva

Margaret Alva is a distinguished lawyer, parliamentarian, and Union Minister. During her 30 years in Parliament, she chaired the Empowerment of Women committee and represented India at international conferences. As a Union Minister for 10 years, she handled key portfolios in the governments of Rajiv Gandhi and P.V. Narasimha Rao. Alva played crucial roles as Advisor to the Bureau of Parliamentary Studies and Training and as General Secretary of the Party overseeing 8 states. As Founder President of Karuna, an NGO for women, she's been a prominent advocate for the Women's Movement, chairing UN committees for over five decades. Recipient of prestigious awards, including the First Nelson Mandela Award for Minority Empowerment and The Global Leadership Award, she served as Governor in Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Goa, and Gujarat. Notably, she was the United Opposition candidate in the recent Vice Presidential election.