S.P.A.
( stories of people of Agra )
Conducted by Agra aur hum .
Is our career only a means to pay the bills or the struggle is to find our mission.
I graduated from law school with the dream of changing the status quo. I knew the responsibility of being a lawyer, a trailblazer of shielding the ‘Right To Equality’ which is the cornerstone of a string
democracy. However, soon the dream of adding a ‘world view’ to my profession of being a lawyer was lost amidst billable hours, paying bills, career ladder and weekdays yearning for weekends. 5 years of being a corporate litigation lawyer looked as fancy on paper, however deep down I was unsatisfied and exhausted. In 2015, when I was escalated at a leadership position in my then workplace, I was perturbed by the under-representation of women in leadership roles in the legal industry (In India, the percentage of women in leadership positions in the legal industry is 15% only). I took cognisance of my observations and proposed to an international federation of women lawyers a ‘Gender Diversity’ Project. We worked on policies, ran qualitative and quantitative studies, spoke to diversity and inclusion experts and after 6 months presented 24 pointer recommendation policy which was followed by law firms from 12 countries globally. And within 2 years each law firm on an average reported 24% rise in leadership positions occupied by women lawyers.
The gratification of the Gender Diversity Project was the catalyst in my movement towards Gender Advocacy. To whoever, I spoke to about Gender Advocacy as a career trajectory brushed it aside as my fantasy trip From friends, colleagues, mentors and even family, everyone thought that I was deluded and wasn’t thinking through. But I was sure that if today I abide to the general consensus of the people around, the only person I would be dishonest to will be me, myself. And in 2017, I made the big move. I also co-founded my intersectional feminist NGO to work on economic independence and social inclusion of genders. While working as Gender Advocate, there were times I missed the ‘settled’ waters, the cash inflow and especially the known trajectory, however, I knew that my making my career more than just a means to earn the bread, I could inspire people to go after their dreams no matter what. There were times that my career move became the butt of jokes. I was labelled as a ‘Self Inflicted Failure’. There were times I succumbed to the naysayers and doubted my decision but there more times when I stood steadfast to my own inner voice, because if I couldn’t be my own cheerleader then who will be?
In the 2 formative years of my journey in Gender Advocacy, I worked with blinders on to hone my craft, with no focus on adulation or cash flow. I led numerous regional and national level initiatives and campaigns through policy intervention, academic learnings and activism. I collaborated with Skill India Mission, Start-up India, Education Policy 2020-21, National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) for our initiatives such as She Mentorship, Women Entrepreneurship Circle, Career Fair for the LGBTQIA+ community, Comprehensive Sexuality Education.
After 2 years of burning the midnight oil which wasn’t even visible, of falling and rising and falling to rise yet again, I was selected as the 2019 United Nations Gender and Sexuality Fellow. And this when the universe helped me reap my commitment to my true self. I worked on gender mainstreaming policies on various legal bills and policies, two of which were quoted in a Parliamentary session. I was also invited as the India ambassador of the Global Goodwill AmbassadorProgram, team lead for Youth for Human Rights International, UN Volunteers and Lawyers without Borders. Through these leadership positions in these coveted networks, I worked in collaboration with gender experts from 192 countries to fight against gender exclusion.
To augment my understanding of Gender, Globalisation and Development, I decided to pursue a masters program. I applied to schools in the UK and while I knew the competition would be stiff with applicant coming from core gender background, I was sure about my resilience, perseverance and commitment to the field. I was accepted to all the three schools that I applied for and will be joining IDS, Sussex (World’s No. 1 University for Gender, this fall. I was also awarded the coveted British High Commission’s Chevening Scholarship, (Chevening is awarded to 1500 scholars from across the globe from 50 k applicants). I will be representing India as a Chevening Scholar in the UK. Unforeseen fortune for visible and consistent efforts when my 3 years of Gender Advocate was recognised by the Royal Society of Arts, London, where I am invited as a fellow.
What people see in my profile is - How 1 year can change your life but I want to impress upon is that if there is 1% desire of achieving a dream, one should go after it without thinking of society, norms and fear of unknown. Our careers can become our mission, however, this privilege is never served on a silver platter.
Comments
Post a Comment