NEW DELHI:
MG Motor India in collaboration with The Better India today launched an initiative to highlight and recognize the extraordinary stories of 6 women changemakers across communities who drove positive change in society.
MG Motor India, with its emphasis on embracing diversity, has also found synergistic support through UN Women India MCO, which has been championing gender equality across the Asian Subcontinent. Amongst those set to be featured under the campaign are noted transgender activist Kalki Subramaniam; Padma Shri awardee Sudha Varghese; women-led rural banking pioneer Chetna Sinha; India’s youngest sarpanch Jabna Chauhan; Dr. Rani Bang; and the founder of North-East Network (NEN), Monisha Behal.
“MG in India has been built on the strong foundations of cultural diversity and to reinforce this vision, we aim to highlight and recognize 6 women catalysts of change for their significant contribution to upliftment of the communities, through the #MGChangemakers campaign. The objective is to inspire and motivate others also to drive the initiative, and bring positive change in society, which is the need of the hour,” said Rajeev Chaba, President – MG Motor India.
Dhimant Parekh, Founder-CEO – The Better India, added, “As India’s largest platform for changemakers, The Better India has always sought to showcase inspirational stories which touch and impact people across the country. These women are making a difference in the lives of countless others with their ground-breaking work. From fighting gender-based discrimination to opening doors for better livelihoods, each one of these women is a grassroots’ changemaker. We are excited to partner with MG Motor India to bring into the limelight the stories of these exceptional women, who’ve truly made the country better with their work and are driving India into the future.”
Extending their support to this campaign, Nishtha Satyam, Deputy Representative, UN Women India MCO, added “UN Women is committed to the cause of gender parity and dignity for every human being. We are pleased to be a part of the laudable #MGChangemakers Initiative which seeks to drive conversations about diversity. By turning the spotlight on the work & stories of these 6 incredible women trailblazers, we hope the initiative will not only break stereotypes, but also alter mindsets and inspire the larger community to empower many other young people as well as respect diversity. It gives us immense pleasure to join hands with MG Motor India and The Better India to bring these stories forward.”
The first #MGChangemakers story will feature transgender activist, artist, author, actor, and inspirational speaker Kalki Subramaniam. The holder of two Master’s degrees (Journalism & Mass Communication and International Relations), Kalki is globally renowned for championing the fight against the discrimination and hatred of transgender persons.
Kalki is the founder of the Sahodari Foundation, which works for the social, economic, and political empowerment of transgender and intersex persons in India, and has strongly advocated for their inclusion at all levels. In October 2010, she was invited by the Government of the United States of America for a 16-day International Visitors Leadership Program (IVLP) to Washington DC, New York, and Salt Lake City.
Speaking on her involvement in the #MGChangemakers campaign, Kalki Subramaniam said, “I started Sahodari because I wanted to create a safe place that would support other transgender and intersex people and help them lead lives with dignity. Basic human dignity – that’s what we’ve been fighting for. The kind of platform that the #MGChangemakers’ initiative provides will help us amplify our voice and make it be heard by a much larger audience. I am delighted with the support that MG Motor India and The Better India have provided and am confident that it will enable us to initiate some really meaningful and wide-reaching conversations about the rights, lives, and struggles of transgender and intersex people in India.”
The stories of the other 5 changemakers under the #MGChangemakers initiative will be launched at an interval of 7 to 10 days and will be supported by strong traditional and digital promotion to further enhance the reach of their message. The video-based stories of these praise-worthy women will also be shared by UN Women India MCO on their social media handles to further amplify awareness. The campaign will conclude with an on-ground event featuring all 6 changemakers, as well as prominent celebrity-activists, media, and prominent organisations focusing on women empowerment and equality.
