The 19th Conference featured, for the first time, a woman as Chairman of the event. She was Rajkumari Amrit Kaur; she also chaired the opening session of the Council of Delegates. Her first remarks to the latter body was:
“Ladies and Gentlemen: It is my privilege as Chairman of the Red Cross Society of the host country to extend to you all the warmest of warm welcomes. I cannot tell you how the Indian Red Cross feels about this Conference. We are delighted to have had the honour of your acceptance of our invitation. I hope the Conference will be a great success and yet another landmark in the history of this great movement. Now, according to tradition, I propose the election of the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross to come and take this Chair. I hope you will receive him with acclamation. M r. Leopold Boissier, President of the I.C.R.C., took the Chair amidst acclamation.[i]”
At the International Conference, she took the floor for the first time at 2:30 pm on October 28, 1957, inviting the President of the ICRC to deliver his report on the proceedings of the Council of Delegates:
“I t is my privilege once again as Chairman of the Indian Red Cross to extend a very hearty welcome to you. I will now ask Mr. Leopold Boissier to read to you the Report of the Council of Delegates. [ii]”
This is how Rajkumari Amrit Kaur was introduced to the Conference by the President of the ICRC, Mr Boissier:
“Ladies and Gentlemen: I have the honour to present to you the report of the Council of Delegates which met this morning, and appointed Lady Limerick as its Vice Chairman.
The first item which I must subm it to you is the election of the Chairman of this Conference.
As Chairman of the Council of Delegates, I have the honour to submit for your consideration the appointment of the Chairman of this XlXth Conference. The Council has unanimously proposed the election of Rajkumari Amrit Kaur, Chairman of the Managing Body of the Indian Red Cross.
(Applause.)
In accepting the proposal of the Council of Delegates by acclamation, you have honoured the whole Red Cross movement, for there is no better illustration than Rajkumari Amrit Kaur of the ideals of our movement, because of her extensive knowledge, her experience, and her devotion. You are all familiar with the various stages of her career which have led her from her ancestral home, through Oxford and the capitals of Europe, to the work of assisting the weak and the forsaken. As a disciple of Gandhi, she learned from him to see in every human being, whoever he may be, a brother to be loved and understood. Working beside the master towards that ideal, she took part in India’s accession to independence, and since then has held high office in the central Government and abroad. In her, we greet India of the past, India of the future which by dint of tremendous efforts is developing today, and India the eternal. In her we also greet with affectionate admiration the first woman Chairman of an International Red Cross Conference and, through her, if I may be permitted to say so, all women who are the best workers for our cause. (Applause.) In your name I now hand to her the emblem of Chairman of the Conference.
(Rajkumari Amrit Kaur then took the Chair) [iii]”.
Otherwise, the report of the 19th
Conference contains no references to women of any interest in the present
context.
[i] XIXth International Conference of the Red Cross, New Delhi, October-November 1957: proceedings; [Geneva : ICRC : League], 1957; P 23; P 41/198 in the electronic version at https://library.icrc.org/library/docs/DIGITAL/CI_1957_RAPPORT_ENG.pdf
[ii] XIXth International Conference of the Red Cross, New Delhi, October-November 1957: proceedings; [Geneva : ICRC : League], 1957; P 40; P 58/198 in the electronic version at https://library.icrc.org/library/docs/DIGITAL/CI_1957_RAPPORT_ENG.pdf
[iii] XIXth International Conference of the Red Cross, New Delhi, October-November 1957: proceedings; [Geneva : ICRC : League], 1957; P 40; P 58/198 in the electronic version at https://library.icrc.org/library/docs/DIGITAL/CI_1957_RAPPORT_ENG.pdf
