The 2021 Out & Equal Quarter 3 India Forum – in partnership with our India Business Inclusion Council – brought together LGBTQI+ and ally professionals from Indian and multinational companies on September 8. The event focused on the Future of Work and explored how younger generations are driving change in the workplace and what we can do together to create more inclusive environments for both the present and future workforce.
The forum began with opening remarks from Out & Equal, Srini Ramaswamy, co-founder of Pride Circle and Manisha Dubey, the India Pride Sponsor at Accenture. Then, participants heard from three keynote speakers who shared three unique perspectives on the future of work. First to speak was Medha Sandill, Customer Success Manager at HackerEarth. Medha spoke at length on the viewpoint and experiences of a nonbinary person currently working at an Indian company. Then we heard from Mishkkaa Verma, a grade 9 student and activist who shared her hopes of what her first day of work will be like. Finally, Aruna Desai, co-founder of Sweekar – The Rainbow Parents shared the perspective of parents of LGBTQ children: their sense of belonging at work and their hopes for their children’s future workplaces.
After the remarks, attendees broke out into interactive small groups in order to share their vision for the future of work, some of the barriers to achieving that vision, intergenerational collaboration, and the small steps that we can all take in order to create a more inclusive workplace for all.
Highlights from the day
As we begin to redefine the Indian workplace – we look toward the future with a reinvigorated vision. 👏🏽
— Out & Equal (@OutandEqual) September 8, 2021
Together, we can create a better vision for LGBTQI+ employees in every workplace. Thank you for joining today's India Forum! 🇧🇷 pic.twitter.com/Zkl9flGo0j
The future of work will not be like the past. The future of work is changing. We owe it to the future generation, like Mishkkaa and others getting ready to enter the workforce! 🌈 pic.twitter.com/q8XJVVzrfY
— Out & Equal (@OutandEqual) September 8, 2021
Indian workplaces are becoming more inclusive of the LGBTQI+ community – but there is more work to do to ensure the #FutureOfWork is a better place for all of us. 🌈
— Out & Equal (@OutandEqual) September 8, 2021
Thank you, Medha, for sharing your story at India Forum! 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/PMPVrRw7lT