How diversity as an idea is evolving !

“Mom, we won the match!” shouted my 10 year old son as he got home from school. “Akshi was too cool. She took the last goal in the last 4 minutes to spare”.

I was pleasantly surprised to hear him raving about his team mate who is a girl playing in his school soccer team. This gave me hope and made me think how times have changed. While I was growing up, girls were expected to play with dolls and playing with the “boys” in a football field was unthinkable. Gender norms have blurred over the years and have created space for both girls and boys to explore their creative self without any cultural inhibitions. Games and activities offer a fun way for young children to learn about differences and similarities among people and to introduce the concept of diversity – which is all about accepting and respecting the differences.

As social realities change, perceptions of just what non-discrimination looks like have also evolved. The mainstream media have started portraying modern women as strong women making pro career choices even during pregnancy. This is a welcome change from women seen as stereotypical housewives or damsels in distress. Men are shown as equal partners in household work and championing women in their choices. But with these choices, come the responsibility to be a positive influence for your own self, family, colleagues and community. The Women on Influence workshop will help participants to discover their untapped potential and learn new ways to reframe resolve their problems.

While changes are visible, there is still long way to go for a truly inclusive society. We celebrate the spirit of diversity in India with various cultures, festivals and religions, but it would have been more meaningful if we could celebrate different ideologies and differences. Today, many countries, including Brazil, Finland and Spain, recognize same-sex partnerships, while others offer legal protections for children born out of wedlock and for single-parent families. This is still unthinkable in India. Article 377 is still a sore point of debate and also a tool for discrimination.

Diversity as an idea also has to evolve with the times. I am hoping that by the time our kids grow up – they will not question race, religion, nationality or gender. Its no longer just about gender equality – but it’s about Human equality. Its about respecting one human being to another. Its about inclusion which is truly meant for all.

For the same reason, we started on a mission to include diverse voices from all walks of life. The initiative Diverse Dialogues and BD Think Tank Forum builds linkages between corporates, communities and people to discuss, debate and find solutions to create a more inclusive world.

We hope these initiatives will help us to understand different point of views and help us to accept and respect differences. We look forward to your continued support and participation in these discussions.

Love & Trust

Sarika

This article was first published on Shethepeople.tv. Please read the article here