I am Shaoni and I am from India, a country with a vast culture and history. I have very recently joined Includovate as an Associate Researcher where I have been researching the lives of children and adolescents in Malawi and also how Community Breeding Programs have led to women’s empowerment in Ethiopia. In terms of education, I graduated from St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata with a degree in Sociology in 2013 and received my Master’s degree in Sociology in 2015 from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi. Both of these institutions have played a significant role in shaping me as an opinionated citizen standing up for equality and justice. My studies at St. Xavier’s were a paradox. There I was taught to question things and to never take them as they are given, but St. Xavier’s was also an institute with an authoritative Catholic Principal where students were never allowed to question the administration.

Upon graduation, I realised that my knowledge was all theoretical with no practical application. When I entered JNU for my master’s degree, I realised what it meant to be a student and have a say. The very first image that I remember is a bunch of students (including both genders) standing in front of the Vice Chancellor’s office with placards demanding hostel facilities for students. Every year, a number of students are given admission but there are often not enough hostels to accommodate them. 2013 marked a very important year for the university as an openly gay person was standing for elections for a Councillor post, the first time that’s ever happened. There have been multiple incidents where the students have raised their voices against injustices like clean toilet facilities for daily workers at the university. Every day at this university, I learned a lot about Human Rights and why they are so important. This university has shaped how I look at struggles around gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation and the interlinkages between them all.

After graduation, I joined the Human Rights Law Network (HRLN) which enlightened me about the importance of human rights. At HRLN, I promoted sexual and reproductive health and rights, including issues of preventable maternal mortality and morbidity, family planning, adolescent sexual health, child marriage, the right to food and nutrition, LGBTIQA rights, and domestic violence. My work involved conducting fact-finding visits in Assam, Manipur, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi and Chattisgarh, India to assess healthcare facilities and services for pregnant women and adolescents. During the assessments we realised that services do not reach the remote areas, health facilities are abysmal and lack of awareness among the service providers. With the help of the lawyers, the human rights violations taking place rampantly are represented in the courts, the positive orders help in ensuring justice and restoring rights that the communities are entitled to. Among the significant changes, the Government of India passed an amendment to the existing law of accessing abortion facilities till 20 weeks to 24 weeks of pregnancy, the health facilities in the state of Manipur, Odisha, Assam and Chhattisgarh has undergone vast improvements to reduce maternal and infant deaths, access and use of contraceptives among adolescents have increased in states like Bihar, Rajasthan and Delhi. Efforts to reduce child marriage and increase awareness about LGBTIQA+ rights have been appreciated. Through advocacy, detailed field visits, and representation in the courts with the help of lawyers, I was able to make a contribution to the lives of marginalised peoples. Fighting for justice became a weapon I wielded.

One of the reasons I chose to work at Includovate was its mission to empower people to fight injustices and inequality, which aligns very closely with my own ideology. I have primarily worked in India and associating with Includovate has given me a global perspective and exposure, allowing me to make a difference beyond my country.

About the Author

Based in India, Shaoni has several years of experience in the development sector. She has worked as a Senior Qualitative Researcher at Outline India and also served as a Senior Researcher at Human Rights Law Network (HRLN), India where she was associated with the Reproductive Rights & Women’s Justice Initiative. Prior to HRLN, she worked as a Research Executive at Impact Partners in Social Development, New Delhi and Rotary India Literacy Mission.

Includovate is a feminist research incubator that “walks the talk”. Includovate is an Australian social enterprise consisting of a consulting firm and research incubator that designs solutions for gender equality and social inclusion. Its mission is to incubate transformative and inclusive solutions for measuring, studying, and changing discriminatory norms that lead to poverty, inequality, and injustice. To know more about us at Includovate, follow our social media: @includovate, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram.