Date: Sunday, December 2nd / Time: 10:00 / Venue: Samsara, The Park Chennai / Event Type: Music, Film, Culture Conference

Continuing a worldwide conversation on the critically needed movement for women’s rights, security and empowerment against sexism, workplace inequality and abuse, this session looks at the movement from India’s perspective. Change takes time, involving the unlearning of long established norms and patterns of inequality and unconscious bias: workplace harassment, safety in public spaces, moral policing, caste, dictats on the roles of woman and men, lack of diversity on festival line-ups and in positions of authority and power in the industry - the list is too long and complex for quick-fixes. In the creative industries, merit alone must the definer and qualifier, but how does one level the playing field to enable an environment that allows for wider inclusivity - of women, as well as other gender and ethnic minorities, marginalised communities, the differently-abled, the elderly, and men? Solutions must place emphasis on core values of merit and hard work, and pursue wider inclusiveness and respect for diversity. The panelists discuss perspectives towards laying the ground for an industry ethos that pursues inclusiveness, beyond the two-gender equal rights and opportunity conversation.

Speakers