1. What problem are you trying to solve? What opportunity are you taking up?
A. I am working to end gender disparity and violence. I see an opportunity in creating dialogue with young people on discriminatory gender norms and beliefs and how these affect their lives, the lives of those they love and of those around them.
2. What do you do to solve this problem?
A. I currently lead a non-profit gender initiative People for Parity where we work to transform socio-cultural beliefs and norms around gender at various levels. We run a fellowship (Pratiti Gender Peace Fellowship) and conduct workshops for young people to build their understanding of gender and its role, to break their gender stereotypes and to transform the gender beliefs and norms, which drive discriminatory or violent behavior. You can think of this as a crash course in feminism or gender studies, not at an academic or intellectual level, but at a deep consciousness level driving their day-to-day attitudes and behavior. In addition to infiltrating the social structure of patriarchy through these peace loving guerrilla fighters, we are also creating dialogue on the same norms and beliefs across diverse communities to bring about transformational change in how we as a society look at someone born as a female or a male, what we expect of them, how we behave with them and so on.
3. What inspires you every day to do what you do?
A. I learn and grow every day with what I do, not merely at a professional level but at a spiritual level. Connecting with other individuals and their lives through this work helps me further connect to myself; and understanding social dynamics helps me build the strength to be myself. These are inspirational enough to strive through each day.
4. What was your childhood ambition, and how did you share it with family and friends?
A. As a kid, I wanted to be a policewoman modeled on a TV character and then during adolescence, Kalpana Chawla became my idol and I aspired to be an astronaut. I feel in the absence of female role models in the society and media, I mistook my aspiration to be a strong person as aspirations of these professions.
5. Your schooling, college: was it targeted towards what you hoped to be... did you become what you 'studied' to be, or did you change course and chart a different path?
A. I studied to be an engineer, at least technically so after graduating from IIT Delhi. But, quite early into it I realized that I wanted to understand people and social systems more and hence I chose to work in the social sector right after college. I have constantly explored and stumbled and set out to explore again wherever my heart takes me.
6. How and when did you chose your field/hobby?
A. Nothing specific to say more than that mentioned above.
7. What were the personal hurdles you had to cross - i.e the reaction of friends and family?
A. The first hurdles came from within, in believing that I was on the right track, and that there was a track even when it wasn’t visible. Also in accepting that this was going to be a journey where I learn as I experience, where there was no prior wisdom to guide me – my own or of others around me. Family and friends have dwindled between having faith, acceptance and resignation which has again been an interesting experience for me.
8. How did your peers react to you? As a young educated woman, were you at an advantage, or disadvantage?
A. My education probably has been the biggest supporting factor in my journey. Brand IIT was probably validation enough for everyone around which I believe turned people’s doubts to curiosity. My peers were perplexed when I chose to do this, they couldn’t comprehend why I wasn’t running after money and my education hadn’t prepared me to communicate that as well !
9. What were challenges you faced and how did you overcome hurdles?
A. Challenges have been many and diverse including mobilizing financial resources, lack of networks, lack of theoretical knowledge, building a team, working with a co-founder, not running away when things don’t go right ! Many of these are ongoing hurdles and I overcome them by building acceptance of myself, others and the situation. Acceptance here doesn’t mean being passive, it means being aware, forward looking and engaging in constructive thinking. For me, even the challenges around finances and networks aren’t hurdles till I let them stop me, or till I let them define my goals.
10: What do you see changing for women professionals in India? How would you encourage young women to consider entrepreneurship as a viable profession/ vocation.
A. I feel the family’s and society’s acceptance for women professionals has increased fair bit in the recent past. My tips as you say for women to consider entrepreneurship as a viable profession will be -
Know your reasons for doing it, they don’t have to be right or wrong, but they have to be your own
Own whatever you do in life, be it work deliverables, hitting the gym, fixing a meal, taking life decisions – they all have to be your choice
Build self awareness – of your body, mind and soul; of what triggers you, of what soothes you
Build a support system of both people and internal skills
Learn to go with the flow – life as well as an enterprise – nothing goes as planned, so learn to adapt and rejoice in what exists and the potential of it
11: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
A. I see myself continuing with activism for gender and peace a long time down the road, but having a more fluid life and role in the world with more freedom to be and learn and grow will be welcome.
12. What do you do for fun?
A. I love to dance, travel and read