Pride Month
For Pride 2024, GCPL co-organised the first ever Pride March at Godrej One, and welcomed employees from all business units across the Godrej Industries Group. The march was presided by GIG leadership, including Nisaba Godrej (Executive Chairperson, GCPL), Parmesh Shahani (Head, Godrej DEI Lab), Megha Goel, (CHRO, Godrej Properties Limited), Balram Singh Yadav (MD, Godrej Agrovet Limited), Manish Shah (MD, Godrej Capital), and Vishal Sharma, (MD Godrej Industries Limited - Chemicals).
During the march, we unveiled the Pride Flag inclusive of colours representing intersex communities. We had also invited dancers from the Qknit Foundation, an LGBTQIA+ media and advocacy collaborative, who performed a Lavani set. The march became a site of showing solidarity between and allyship towards people from LGBTQIA+ communities inhabiting our campus.
"The Pride march was a first for Godrej, and it is heartening to see the organisation truly embrace and champion LGBTQIA+ communities, not just in June but as a year-round commitment," shared Aarush Patil from Godrej Capital.
"It was a deeply emotional experience that reminded me of the importance of continuing to push for greater inclusion and unity," Shashank Awale from GCPL said.
As part of our Pride Month initiatives, we organised a Rainbow Nukkad Natak – a vibrant form of street theatre – at Godrej One, to illuminate experiences of LGBTQIA+ employees in the workplace. Organised across various sites in the office, the intention of this initiative was to build meaningful conversations around making the workplace affirming with and for employees from LGBTQIA+ communities.
We are not only committed to raising awareness but also to creating tangible opportunities for people from LGBTQIA+ communities. We participated in an LGBTQ Job Fair organised by the Humsafar Trust where we expanded our diverse workforce through lateral hiring and internship opportunities.
In 2024, we introduced LGBTQIA+ inclusion workshops for our head office employees with plans to extend them to our Malanpur and South Cluster sites. The workshops are oriented towards acknowledging LGBTQIA+ terminology and their appropriate usage, creating safe spaces and support systems for LGBTQIA+ employees, encouraging allyship, and explaining legal protections for and rights of LGBTQIA+ employees.
At GCPL, we are committed to provide resources for our employees’ mental health and ensure that every employee has the support they need to thrive. To mark Mental Health Awareness Month, in May 2024, we organised a virtual webinar in collaboration with our Central Wellness Team, offering employees a platform to engage in open discussions about mental health.
The “Secrets to Mental Wellbeing” session highlighted the significance of self-care and provided employees with a self-care toolkit to help them manage stress, improve emotional resilience, and enhance overall wellness. Additionally, a session on “Mental Health Guide for Young Professionals” addressed the unique challenges faced by younger employees, offering guidance on work-life balance, managing stress, and building a foundation for long-term mental health resilience.
Through these sessions, we wanted to normalise conversations around mental health in the workplace regardless of an employee’s role or experience. Having been well received by our employees, we are keen on organising more such workshops in the future.
International Day of Persons with Disabilities (PWD) remains a significant occasion for us to reflect on our ongoing journey towards building an inclusive workplace for employees with disabilities.
In 2024, we produced a documentary featuring some of our employees with disabilities who explained their subjectivities in navigating the workplace. Simultaneously, the film highlights how our workplace infrastructure is accessible to each of their needs. Scan the QR code below to watch the film.
Text and image by GCPL's DEI team.