The 15th edition of the Dasra Philanthropy Week, saw a convergence of diverse stakeholders from the social impact ecosystem, anchored around the theme of ‘Thrive through Equity’. With a focus on gender, equity, diversity and inclusion, and a commitment to thrive through equity, the event created a space for thought-provoking conversations and diverse voices from every corner of India.

“The nonprofit sector today stands as the cornerstone of civil society in India,” asserted Nisaba Godrej, Executive Chairperson of Godrej Consumer Products, as she inaugurated the plenary sessions on February 29th, 2024. Amidst myriad challenges such as limited foreign funding and organisational capacity constraints, coupled with the increasing need for sustainable impact, Dasra Philanthropy Week 2024 aspires to foster a collective perspective to shape the future of India. Suparna Gupta, Chairperson of Dasra, highlighted the organisation’s 25-year journey in the impact ecosystem, underscoring the four pillars that are poised to steer the future of the development ecosystem: ‘Collaborative Platform, India for the World, Accelerating Social Change, and #Thrive through Equity’.

Empowering Women Leaders through the Women Lead – India Alliance
The first plenary discussion of the day commenced with a session led by Shailja Mehta, Associate Director at Dasra, shedding light on the status of gender equity in India. Despite India’s remarkable economic progress over the last decade, characterised by a notable reduction in extreme poverty and a 7% increase in GDP, the nation still grapples with significant gender disparities. This is evidenced by examples such as the high rate of women dropping out of the labour market, which is higher than almost anywhere else in the world by only one country.

Urban Alchemy: Strategies for Inclusive Development Amidst Rapid Urbanization

The second panel discussion, moderated by Smruti Koppikar, a journalist at Urban Chronicler, centred on urban development challenges in India amidst rapid urbanisation. The panel consisted of Sameer Shisodia, CEO at Rainmatter Foundation; Pratima Joshi, Founder-Executive Director at Shelter Associates; and Mangesh Valve, General Manager at Blue Star Limited.

From Frontier to Front: Empowering local communities in North East India

The third panel discussion of the day delved into North East India, shedding light on some of the unique challenges encountered in the region, along with the need to strengthen outreach and funding. Often less discussed than other states and regions in the country, and even less understood, the discussion was initiated with the display of a map highlighting the names of the states within the North-East region.

Read the full article about focus on equity by Aarti Mohan, Rini Jincy Paul and Lekhya Reddy at Alliance Magazine.