MG Motor India in collaboration with The Better India has launched an initiative to highlight and recognise the extraordinary stories of six 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.
Among 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.
The stories of the other five changemakers under the #MGChangemakers initiative will be launched at an interval of seven 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 praiseworthy 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 six changemakers, as well as prominent celebrity-activists, media and prominent organisations focusing on women empowerment and equality.
“MG in India has been built on the strong foundations of cultural diversity and to reinforce this vision, we aim to highlight and recognise six women catalysts of change for their significant contribution to uplift 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 and 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."
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), Subramaniam is globally renowned for championing the fight against the discrimination and hatred of transgender persons.
The first film of Kalki Subramaniam:
Subramaniam 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, 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 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.”