“There were times when my inputs were double checked with male colleagues, even though I was leading the team. It made me wonder if I was even being heard,” says Sheethal TS, 32, a junior manager at Gram Vikas.
For Jagrity Sharan, a development sector professional, the challenge unfolded in more subtle ways. “It was about getting the right opportunity at the right time. When that does not happen, you begin to question your own journey,” she shares.
Their words carry the weight of lived experience. They are not dramatic moments, but everyday realities that influence how women move through workplaces. Across India’s social impact sector, many women begin their careers with intent and commitment, but their journeys towards leadership often take longer, with more turns along the way.
It is within this space that Anchal Kakkar began asking difficult questions and eventually, building answers.
A career that found its way to purpose
Anchal did not begin her journey in the development sector. Like many young professionals, she started in the corporate world, working in statutory audit at PwC in 2007. The work was structured, demanding, and gave her a strong foundation in finance and systems.
In January 2025, they launched the ‘Gender Accelerator Programme’.
However, over time, she felt drawn towards something more meaningful.
“I realised quite early that I wanted to work in the impact ecosystem,” she says. “I wanted to be closer to work that directly affects people’s lives.”
This led her to pursue an MBA at Saïd Business School, Oxford, a decision she made consciously to move closer to the social sector. The programme gave her exposure to ideas and approaches that connected business thinking with social challenges.
After her MBA, she worked with Dasra and later with the Boston Consulting Group, where she was part of a project studying the future of jobs. These experiences brought her into closer contact with organisations working on the ground and those shaping broader strategies.
“Those years helped me understand how organisations function and where they struggle. And one of the recurring themes was around talent,” she explains.
Seeing what was not immediately visible
In 2016, she co-founded Arthan, focusing on talent and leadership in the social impact space. Through this work, she began to see patterns that were not always obvious at first glance.
“At the entry level, you see a lot of women joining organisations,” she tells The Better India. “But as you move up to middle management and then leadership, the numbers become smaller.”
It was not a sudden drop, but a gradual thinning. Women stepped away at different stages, sometimes due to caregiving responsibilities, sometimes due to limited opportunities, and sometimes because the systems around them did not always support their growth in the way they needed.
“The structure of work has been shaped over time in a certain way. For many women, navigating that structure requires additional effort,” she says.
She also noticed that even when women reached leadership roles, sustaining that position often required managing environments where their voices were not always equally recognised. These were observations gathered over the years, but they needed a better understanding.
Listening, documenting, and learning
In early 2020, as the world slowed down during the COVID-19 pandemic, Anchal and her team used the time to focus on understanding the challenges women faced in leadership. They began with a study supported by the Rockefeller Foundation, speaking to women leaders across organisations and carefully documenting their journeys. This research revealed the gaps and opportunities in women’s leadership, giving them a picture of where change was needed.
“We wanted to understand the full arc of their experiences,” she says. “From education to leadership, what helped them move forward and where they faced challenges.”
The programme begins with a three-day residential workshop.
By April 2020, ‘EquiLead’ was launched as an initiative under Arthan, with support from partners such as Climate Asia. Rather than operating in isolation, it was designed as a collaborative platform, able to work alongside other organisations and individuals. This approach allowed the initiative to build connections, pool resources, and tackle challenges across the ecosystem, creating a broader and more lasting impact than it could achieve alone.
Their work expanded into a larger study conducted in phases till 2024, covering 128 organisations across the sector. The research analysed leadership, policies, organisational culture, and the overall sense of belonging within workplaces.
The findings offered a clearer picture. While many organisations expressed commitment towards supporting women, only 31 percent had women in leadership roles. At the same time, organisations were at different stages in their journeys. Some had policies in place but were still working on implementation, while others were just beginning to understand what inclusion could look like in practice.
“There was a lot of intent, and there was also an opportunity to build more structure around that intent,” the co-founder shares. The research also showed that conversations around gender were not always easy. In some spaces, people were still figuring out how to approach them.
Moving from understanding to action
As the research expanded, so did the need to translate insights into something practical. One of the key realisations was that focusing only on individuals or only on organisations would not be enough.
“You need both,” she explains. “Women need access to opportunities and support, but organisations also need the tools to create environments where that support can translate into growth.”
The team began shaping a structured programme based on everything they had learnt. In January 2025, they launched the ‘Gender Accelerator Programme’. “It is a six-month, cohort-based programme for organisations that want to become more inclusive,” Anchal says.
The programme begins with a three-day residential workshop, where senior leaders from different organisations come together. The idea is to create a shared understanding of inclusion, not just as a concept, but as something that can be built into everyday work.
“We bring in people who can influence decisions,” she explains. “Because change needs to be supported at that level.”
Each organisation then develops its own Gender Action Plan, identifying areas it wants to focus on. Over the next six months, the EquiLead team will work closely with them through regular sessions, discussions, and peer learning. There is also space for organisations to learn from each other, sharing what has worked in their own contexts.
What change begins to look like
For many organisations, the changes are gradual but meaningful.
Sachin Deshpande (36), a manager in people and culture at Janaagraha, describes how the programme helped his team reflect on their processes. “We became more aware of how biases can enter systems without us realising it,” he says. “We have since worked on allowing a more balanced hiring pipeline and introduced flexible return to work options.”
Gargi (29), a partnerships and programme lead at Chambal Media, speaks about changes in policies and structures. “We reviewed our organisational policies and aligned them more closely with inclusive values. The sessions also helped us strengthen our internal processes,” she says.
For Rajendra Meher, a chief executive officer at YCDA (Youth Council for Development Alternatives), the shift has been more integrated. “We have been able to include gender perspectives more intentionally across programmes, recruitment, and policies,” he explains. “It has helped us move towards more structured ways of working.”
In early 2020, as the world slowed down during the COVID-19 pandemic, Anchal and her team used the time to understand the challenges women faced in leadership.
The personal shifts that follow
Alongside organisational changes, there are personal shifts that begin to take place.
For Sheethal, it has meant greater clarity and confidence. “We have started conversations around gender within our organisation,” she says. “Women are coming forward, and I can support others so they feel heard.”
Jagrity describes the experience as both grounding and energising. “Listening to other women and understanding their journeys helped me see my own path differently. It also gave me a sense of connection,” she explains.
Through its various initiatives, the programme has created spaces where women can share experiences, learn from each other, and access opportunities that might otherwise feel distant.
Understanding the impact in real terms
Over time, this work has reached a significant number of people. EquiLead has engaged with around 50 organisations and connected with more than 28,000 women professionals through its platform, events, and outreach.
In 2025 alone, 80 women were placed in mid to senior leadership roles through Arthan’s hiring efforts, with a conscious effort to guarantee balanced representation in candidate pipelines.
“These numbers reflect many small steps coming together,” Anchal says.
“They show what can happen when intention is supported by consistent action.” The process behind these numbers involves multiple layers, from outreach through social media and newsletters to partnerships with organisations and open calls for participation.
Working through everyday challenges
The work, however, is not without its complexities. Time and capacity often emerge as key considerations, especially in a sector where individuals take on multiple responsibilities.
“There is always a lot happening within organisations. So finding the time and space to focus on something like gender integration requires intention,” the co-founder says.
There are also different perspectives and understandings of gender within teams, moulded by generational and cultural contexts. These differences often lead to important conversations, even if they take time.
What has helped is engaging leadership and building shared ownership. “When leadership is involved, it creates a stronger foundation,” she explains. “It helps embed these ideas into everyday work rather than keeping them separate.”
A shift in how leadership is seen
One of the most meaningful changes has been in how leadership itself is understood. “For me, leadership today is about creating space for others,” says Rajendra. “It is about supporting people to grow and contribute.”
Each organisation then develops its own Gender Action Plan, identifying areas it wants to focus on.
Gargi sees it as a collective effort. “It is about listening and building trust within teams,” she says. For Sheethal, it is an ongoing journey. “I am learning more about my own leadership style,” she says. “And trying to grow into it.”
These reflections point towards a shift that is less about titles and more about how people work together.
From its beginnings as a research effort in 2020, EquiLead has grown into a platform that brings together research, programmes, and community. There is still much to be explored and strengthened, from extending programmes to reaching more sectors and continuing to build on research.
“We want to integrate gender more strongly into how organisations function,” Anchal says. “So that it becomes a natural part of systems and processes.”
At its core, the work remains centred on people. On creating spaces where individuals feel heard, supported, and able to contribute meaningfully. As the co-founder reflects, “Workplaces should be spaces where people feel they belong and can do their best work.”
And in small but steady ways, that sense of belonging is beginning to develop.
All pictures courtesy EquiLead.
