Change is a two way process
The India Culture Club is a unique effort by Godrej Industries to foster inclusion while involving the community. Advocacy of human rights is one of the objectives of the lab which is led by Parmesh Shahani. It has a dedicated team and organizes 30 to 40 events yearly, and on 9th October, in collaboration with the Diversity & Inclusion team, they organized a panel discussion and film screening on LGBT inclusion. After the successful Women’s leadership and Parenting networks, Godrej has recently launched the new employee network of LGBT employees and their straight allies.
The idea behind this innovative effort is the concept of inter connected layers within communities as propounded by Edward Shils and other sociologists. The social mores and norms affect the society, family unit, employees and ultimately the organization. This brings out the imperative for involving external stakeholders to ensure inclusion. While change is a two way process, this effort aims to carry a message of inclusion from within the company to the world outside.
The LGBT D&I agenda includes:
- Policies and benefits
- Complaint redress
- Communication & partnership ( same sex partners are entitled to medical cover)
- Sensitization workshops led by HR called “know your LGBT”
- Participation in Pride Walk
- Community engagement
As part of Community engagement, the India Culture Club organized a public event called “Breaking Free” buy zithromax z-pak which included a lively panel discussion moderated by Farah Nathani-Menzes (Head Diversity & Inclusion, Godrej).
It is noteworthy that the event saw a good number of employees registering with the network at the event (including non-LGBT) and saw many of them sporting rainbow badges to show solidarity with their LGBT colleagues. These were clearly visible signs of culture change which is slow & tough to measure.
The inclusion journey at Godrej is remarkable in its innovative way of creating positive traction through its employee network. Yet a key factor is also the commitment of the top management team which is communicated via email to all employees. Nisaba Godrej, Executive Director of Godrej Consumer products recently sent this message on International Day Against homophobia:
“At Godrej, we strongly believe that each one of us is unique and we can only truly flourish when we can be our ‘whole self’ at work. As an organization that deeply values diversity and inclusion, I would be proud of us if we create a culture where our LGBT colleagues can be comfortable being ‘out’ at work and every single one of us is inclusive and respectful of it. There is no place for prejudice at Godrej, only space for open minds and hearts.”
With special thanks to Udayan Dhar, Manager, D & I, Godrej Industries
