Chennai, March 5, 2024: Procter & Gamble India (P&G India) in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras, has hosted the second edition of ‘Vanavil: P&G Share The Pride - IIT Madras Equality Summit’ to advance equality and inclusion for the LGBTQ+ community and create safe spaces and visible allies for the queer community.
The three-day Summit, held from March 1 to 3, brought together a host of distinguished speakers who shared their insights and personal experiences with the students at the campus, sparking meaningful conversations around various issues of contemporary as well as historical relevance to the queer community.
The event was flagged off with the launch of a first-of-its-kind ‘P&G Share The Pride Inclusion Handbook’ – a comprehensive toolkit designed to drive awareness and sensitise students at educational institutes on LGBTQ+ allyship and inclusion.
The ‘Inclusion Handbook’ has been developed by P&G India in partnership with the queer clubs of 6 leading educational institutes across the country including Pride of Joka from IIM Calcutta, Vannam IIT Madras and XLRI among others.
This initiative is a significant step to create safe spaces and visible allies for the LGBTQ+ community.
The unveiling of the book was followed by a panel discussion on ‘Fuelling inclusion for organisational and personal growth’ which included Abhijit Majumder, Professor, IIT Mumbai, Enakshee Deva– Head, Corporate Communication and Corporate Social Responsibility, P&G India, and Omkar Masurkar, Senior Manager, P&G India.
Commenting on the initiative, Ankur Bhagat, Vice President – Product Supply & Executive Sponsor for LGBTQ+ Inclusion, P&G India said, “At P&G, equality and inclusion are at the cornerstone of our culture, simply because we endeavour to respect and reflect the diversity of our consumers, and creating an ecosystem where everyone is welcome as they are, with equal opportunities to learn, thrive and succeed. We are delighted to partner with Vannam IIT Madras, for the second edition of the Summit…This one is special because of the launch of the P&G India ShareThePride Inclusion Handbook, aimed at advancing LGBTQ+ allyship and inclusion at educational institutes across the country. Collaborations like these with IIT Madras are essential in driving long-term change and promoting acceptance and equality.”
IIT Madras Spokesperson said, “We are proud to host the second edition of Vanavil: P&G India ShareThePride IIT Madras Equality Summit. IIT Madras has a long-standing commitment to fostering an inclusive environment, as evidenced by initiatives like our LGBTQ+ student support cell and our sensitization workshops for faculty and staff. The Summit's engaging discussions and diverse range of speakers provided valuable insights and perspectives to our students, empowering them to become advocates for LGBTQ+ inclusion in their personal and professional lives. We believe that our collaboration on the inclusion handbook will play a pivotal role in creating safe spaces for the LGBTQ+ on campuses.”
P&G introduced GABLE (Gay, Ally, Bisexual, Lesbian Employees) – the official affinity group of LGBTQ+ employees and their allies, more than 25 years ago as a network for fostering workplace equality for LGBTQ+ employees and today, it has grown into a supportive global community with chapters in 40 countries including India.
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