“It Is My Dream That I Could Work 9-5 Job” – Laxmi Narayan Tripathi
Transgender leader and activist - Laxmi Narayan Tripathi graced the Diversity Equity Inclusion Future Fluent Global Summit, organised by BW Businessworld and AskInsights in the national capital today, with her powerful words and expressed that she wished a normal life with a 9-5 job.
“It is my dream that I wish I could work 9-5 and have that experience. I had the qualification and if I had a chance way back when it was my time to join the office, if there was an atmosphere, I believe that what I have achieved in this small life I could have achieved it even at my office desk also. Because it is my capacity to deliver, my work speaks for me not my sexuality” she said.
“India has a lot to do and till we don't have non-discrimination policies, I don't think so, we can achieve what we want to achieve”, she added.
Tripathi further pointed out that diversity and inclusion are just ‘fashionable’ words that are discussed time and again but there is still a long way to go. She said, “Today when we talk about gender equality, it is fashion. Inclusion is the most fashionable world in the social sector and transgender is the hot potato that everybody wants to work with. I don't want your concern. Where are the policies? Where are the HR policies?”
She also revealed that she volunteered to reform the HR policies of organisations which could bring a change in the work environment but it was all just a ‘big talk’ and nothing was taken ahead.
“It irritates me, when we are ready to walk 200 steps but you don't even have the guts to walk two steps with us because it is 10 of the preconceived notions. The stigma is still there within all of us somewhere or the other”, she said.
Furthermore she puts light on the education sector and states that change needs to be brought in the dynamics of workplace structure in the country, she said, “Education system is so colonized that we cannot think beyond man and woman. When we talk about inclusion at workplace the spine of the whole thing should be dignity”.
She added, “Till we don't educate our own staff, till we don't create that environment in the society at the workplace, till then we won't be successful in terms of inclusion of every gender at workplace”.
She exclaims that we have to teach the community and the mainstream society. She also believes that it just takes one step to change millions of lives.
Tripathi expressed, “One thing that binds my community, LGBTIQ, is the pain and trauma what we all go together and it's time that we need to change it. It is one step what it will take that can change millions and millions of life.”
She added, “You don't need to invest money or create reservations, you need to invest your heart. You only need to create an atmosphere of dignity and respect and if I have the capability I will smoothly swim over and be there as productive as any man and woman.”
Commenting on the summit, she said, “I really believe that such platforms will, at least, force people to have an air of thinking that how you can be more inclusive, how you can contribute from the position what we are sitting to make thousands of life in this country useful, happy and would feel proud of themselves”.
