Taking Center Stage

66,94,35,590 people or 8% of the world’s total non-male population resides in India. Is this statement offsetting? However, the process of recording today, history-in-making, prioritizes trends from a world dominated by patriarchal norms. Evidence about ‘other’ gendered identities are often created in context to ‘men of privilege’ at center stage. 

The rare counting-in of women and other marginalized identities is often an exception, not the rule. So, while we are quick to celebrate milestones like women going to space, or a trans person winning the local elections, we must also reflect on how power dynamics among genders are skewed daily, and through generations. We must pause to assess the consequences these have on the most marginalized of us.

In this moment of reckoning, Taking Center Stage brings a spectrum of gender identities under the spotlight. Why? Because while talking about gender, lived experiences are critical evidence. Oral cultures, personal narratives, or anecdotes help us see the people as embodied, in flesh and blood, navigating diverse contexts. Devoid these nuances; we may not always understand the layers. The lives of people from marginalized gender identities intersect with the social, economic, and geographic realities, affecting their experiences in personal, domestic, and public spheres. In India, the identities of caste, class, ethnicity, region, religion, disability, etc. create a complex grid of challenges. Therefore, evidence driven by and centered on the data bearer can provide deep insights for creating meaningful impact.

This lineup of gender identities provides a glimpse into the lives of 12 individuals from marginalized gender identities across India and offers prompts for stakeholder action. Since efforts focusing on gender equality continue being under-resourced, the nonprofit and philanthropy sector can play a significant role in paying heed to such evidence, championing it, and facilitating problem-solving that transforms gross inequalities. It is time to act!

It’s time we deepened our focus on Sustainable Development Goal 5 i.e., Gender Equality, as it concerns half the world’s population.

132 years to achieve Gender Parity

• Up to year 2020, we were 100 years away from gender parity
• With generational losses in 2020-21, the world is trailing further
• India ranks 135 out of 146 countries on gender parity
• On health and survival: India is at the very bottom