The subtle power of dress codes
Clothes shape mental health and body image. Let us explore the hows and the whys. Sridhar Laxman We often overlook the dress code’s role when we think of workplace culture. However, it can significantly affect employees’ mental health and perception of their bodies. Clothing and identity Clothing isn’t just about covering ourselves – it’s a […]
Giving wings to dreams
The story of Dr Jitender Aggarwal, a successful dentist who got afflicted by macular degeneration of the retina, which leads to blindness and how he set a successful social enterprise riding on faith Prachi Raturi Misra Days merged into nights and the phone, it didn’t stop ringing. With two dental clinics to manage in West […]
In her true colours
From avoiding being photographed to becoming a social media star, Manisha Malik’s journey of accepting vitiligo tells you how to embrace yourself Veenu Singh Social media is like a two-edged sword. While it may be pushing us to look at beauty in a certain way, demanding perfection in every aspect, social media has also helped […]
Winds of change in interpreting LGBTQIA+on Indian celluloid
Arnab Banerjee Cinema being enormously powerful, has the power to change the way we think about ourselves and our culture. Of course, cinema as a medium, can make us laugh or cry or leave us speechless too. But most important of all is its ability to raise voices and experiences of the marginalised to a […]
Unity in diversity: How sport’s rainbow coalition is building a monument to acceptance and respect
In 2022, India’s Dutee Chand called for a world in which LGBTQIA+ athletes can live without fear of persecution or death. Three years earlier, the 100m and 200m runner from Odisha had revealed that she was in a same-sex relationship, her honesty igniting a moral backlash but also earning Chand kudos and support. The act […]
Sexuality and identity
Samindara Sawant Gaurav was 16 when he started becoming aware of the possibility that he might be gay. While his friends ogled at girls, he on the other hand, seemed to notice all the interesting guys. Eventually, he realised that he was attracted to boys, and felt nothing for girls. By the time he was […]
Unlocking the claustrophobic closet
Who will open this closet: the one in which a child is trapped – claustrophobic, searching for light, oxygen and his identity? Anshu Arora A person who has claustrophobia fears enclosed spaces, and may panic when inside a space such as a lift, a plane or a crowded room. Imagine if this space was one’s […]
Working with transgender people
Lack of skilled workforce and communication skills and that most transgender people have limited education are aspects that cannot be overlooked, say HR experts Reena Mathai Luke Today we are aware that advancing diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) is high on most corporate agendas even in India, but the real challenge of embedding DEI in […]
Spinning a rainbow of hope
Prachi Raturi Misra White flowers, his favourite cake, lots of candles and some of his favourite people. Everyone ringed in his 18th birthday on 8 April with the joy and love he thrived on. The only one missing was him. “When I saw him smile in the picture, I reminded myself he was hopefully in […]
WHY the WHY’s? Inclusivity of diversity
Moving beyond prejudgements and questions to embracing the person in all their rainbow colours Namrata Gupta Not normal’, ‘it will get better with time’, ‘just experimenting’, ‘just a phase’, ‘they look odd’ are some of the many reactions to being queer you might have heard. We like to believe of ourselves as individuals with independent […]