She the change: Empowering voices, enriching workplaces

On 4th July 2023, Arthan organised its first Women at Work conference, 'She The Change: Empowering Voices, Enriching Workplaces,' at the India International Centre, New Delhi. The conference aimed to bring together organisational leaders, human resource experts, gender experts, and thought leaders from civil society organisations and enterprises.

With the G20's current focus on women-led development and inclusion of all development actors, the conference strove to facilitate the sharing and acknowledgment of good practices, support networking amongst different entities, and help foster deliberation and knowledge exchange. This was done to nurture dialogue and form communities of practice centered around diversity, inclusion, and gender equity in the development sector.

The conference included addresses by two keynote speakers, sharing of key highlights of a landscape study that surveyed gender equity practices within nonprofits and their impact on women's workforce participation and leadership; the She the Change: Showcase that featured good practices in gender integration at the institutional level; two-panel discussions; and a networking session which concluded the event.

The keynote speakers for the conference were Ms. Renana Jhabvala, SEWA Bharat, and Ms. Shrayana Bhattacharya, World Bank - Social Protection and Labour Unit, South Asia. The other speakers for the conference included: Archna Vyas (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation), Anand Sinha (The David and Lucile Packard Foundation), Dr. Anuradha Rajan (South Asia Women Foundation India), Raj Mariwala (Mariwala Health Initiative), Gayatri Nair Lobo (A.T.E. Chandra Foundation), Akshay CM (DEI Expert), Parul Kamra (Project Baala), Indrajit Chaudhuri (PCI India), Riya Singh (Dalit Women Fight), Disha Shrivastava (Centum Foundation), Aiswarya Ananthapadmanabhan (Arthan), Rahul Balakrishnan (Arthan), Anchal Kakkar (Arthan), and Maathangi Mohan (Arthan).

The conference commenced with an inspiring keynote address by Ms. Renana Jhabvala. In the keynote address, Ms. Jhabvala spoke about the responsibilities of organisations in ensuring a conducive workplace environment for all employees in line with their requirements, career advancement for women, and the nuances of working in the social impact sector. Advising women on the importance of asserting their thoughts during discussion forums, Ms. Jhabvala remarked, "The way to deal with a group of people who are mainly men, who don't really understand you or are condescending, is to bring your genuine voice, which comes from your social development experience." 

Following the address, Arthan shared key highlights from 'Catalysing Women's Leadership in the Development Sector and Institutionalising Gender Integration, Equity, and Inclusion' - a landscape study that surveyed and conversed with development sector organisations across India to unveil critical findings around gender integration in institutional strategies and practices, GEDI perspectives and priorities, and their influence on boosting women's participation and leadership in India's development sector.

The report highlighted certain key findings for gender integration in organisations. For instance, it found that gender equality has been intentionally and successfully integrated into organisational practices and approaches. It also found that social impact organisations widely practice Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) as a key principle. In terms of specific practices, the report also highlighted certain practices that have proven to be extremely effective in helping organisations integrate gender into their organisational practice.

The audience was instrumental in facilitating the discussion. Two crucial questions raised by audience members during the session were - 'What is the response and attitude of the team towards women in team leadership positions? and 'How to create an environment where DEI can be actively discussed and effective practices implemented?'

The second keynote address, which followed the study release, was given by Ms. Shrayana Bhattacharya. Her speech was thought-provoking and effectively set the stage for the deliberations that followed. She highlighted that true diversity involves embracing a wide range of perspectives. While there have been some positive shifts, such as reevaluating pronouns and language, there is still much progress to be made, especially in areas like women's labor, childcare considerations, and rethinking the traditional boundaries between work and home.

Following the address, the conference commenced the first-panel discussion of the day, 'Experience to Experiments: Intergenerational and Intersectional Perspectives on Building Gender Equity at the Workplace.' The panel highlighted various crucial points, such as intersectionality and the need to identify diverse identities, the power of diversity, framing DEI policy, and the need for a balanced and flexible structure for the workplace.

Answering the question on the behavior change required at the organisational level, Indrajit Chaudhuri opined, "Understand the position of women [at work] when they are in liminal positions. On one side, they need to compete with the traditional [norms] when they need to show themselves strong, masculine, and aggressive, and on the other hand, they are also facing the problem of abiding by all the feminine norms that are put on them."

Following the panel discussion, the She the Change: Showcase aimed to bring visibility to incredible workplace values and practices ideated, instituted, and institutionalised in the organisation, which have contributed towards gender equality, integration, women leadership, and diversity, equity, and inclusion.

The showcase featured presentations by four organisations, namely the Centre for Advocacy and Research (CFAR), Goonj, Good Business Lab, and TARSHI. Each organisation shared its best practices and explained how these practices and insights have been instrumental in driving change over time. These ranged from flexible workspaces to accommodating basic and special needs, among others.

The second-panel discussion was on 'Intent - yes, resources - no. How to Incentivise Gender-Intentional Organisational Behaviour and Reward Gender Equitable Outcomes'. The conversation covered funders' perspectives on what they can do within their institutions as practitioners of gender intentionality and whether the scope of their role as funders includes making recommendations on institutional frameworks of grantee organisations. Some key points addressed included highlighting the need for internal reflection to integrate the Gender, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (GEDI) lens within organisations.

Talking about the funders' role in collaborating with stakeholders in advancing gender intentionality, Dr. Rajan reflected, "Listen closely to the people who are in the communities where the change process is developing, what they have to say about the kinds of funding needs that are emerging. Not just the needs of gender as a thematic area but the kind of funding models that would be most amenable for them [communities]."

The panelists also called attention to the need for multi-level collaboration between different actors for better policy framing and to strengthen engagement at all levels. The need for accessibility to be prioritised in order to accommodate different needs and requirements was another key point highlighted, and the responsibility of organisations to encourage productivity instead of demanding it was also raised in the deliberation.

The final segment of the event was the networking session, 'Behind the Networking Scenes: Real Experiences, Real Impact.' It was designed to equip the participants with relevant skills and strategies to enhance their networking abilities and seek meaningful guidance and mentorship within the sector. The session was led by Disha Shrivastava (Centum Foundation) and moderated by Maathangi Mohan (Arthan).

Rahul Balakrishnan (Arthan) also weighed in on the power of networking for career advancements. The session incorporated practical hacks and insider tips to master the art of networking while the participants enjoyed a fun and engaging environment. Some of these tips included taking the first step to connect with potential collaborators, how to pitch yourself online and in real life to spark interest, connecting on LinkedIn or email instead of the traditional card exchange, and the importance of being authentic while meeting people who are potential collaborators.

The event successfully highlighted the plethora of hindrances and barriers faced by women and other minorities in the workplace. It effectively gave a voice to relevant concerns, issues, and grievances relating to the current state of gender inclusion and equity in the development sector and related policy and action. By bringing people from different fields and organisational positions, the Women at Work conference put together a holistic view of the state of diversity, equity, and inclusion within and outside of the development sector.

A recurring theme in the discussions was that development sector organisations, as they work for the progress and development of all, must mandate and necessitate the inclusion of all in their policy and decision-making.

The conference was an initial yet vital step towards a gender-equitable development sector, with it shedding light on the patterns of systemic enablement and how they lead to disparities. Such disparities, stemming from and exacerbated by attitudes and norms which inhibit the participation of women and other minorities, require the support of organisations and their leaders for their identification and subsequent alleviation through gradual and systemic accommodation.

The conference fostered a sense of unity amongst people who are driven and committed to removing such disparities and helped lay the foundation for an element of trust that needs to be established between the different actors and stakeholders. Moreover, the sessions highlighted the importance of inclusion and accommodation, especially differences and varying needs.

She the Change conference successfully established a crucial milestone by emphasising the importance of women's active participation and encouraged research to uncover biases and drive positive change. Recognising intersectionality and prioritising accessibility was seen as essential for creating a diverse and supportive work environment. By reflecting internally and collaborating across different levels, organisations can play a pivotal role in nurturing productivity and implementing holistic solutions that embrace the power of diversity.

The Women's Leadership conceived the Women at Work initiative conducted by Arthan in 2020 and today as a full-fledged initiative that aspires to make the development sector more inclusive and conducive for women to join, grow and lead the workforce. Arthan aspires to build a dynamic platform to facilitate careers, learning, and growth opportunities for women job seekers and provide mentorship, networking, and collaboration avenues. The platform will also build the capacities of social purpose organizations to facilitate and help them accelerate their gender integration and GEDI policies and practices.