Diversity can have many meanings and translations. At the workspace, too, diversity can be in people, ideas, culture and so much more. But what it means for us is something personal to our ideas. It embraces the unique perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds that we all come from. A place where we can be us and feel empowered despite our differences.
Stepping into a new workplace can be exciting and challenging at the same time. I used to be at the forefront of the field interacting with grassroot organisations. As a workspace, it meant more of a grassroot community and less of me. But working at Social Lens means more of my work, ideas, and opinions. The Khadija I used to be at the field is different from the one here at Social Lens, wearing the hat of a consultant. Social Lens gave me the support and space to expand my knowledge while adapting to opportunities and working as a team.
Social Lens is a space away from home. A space that we are building together for one another. Workspaces according to us are our second homes. Your colleagues are your siblings. You plot project ideas; your managers are your mentors who step into giving you a space to grow. And, like every family we quarrel too. Sometimes we get upset with each other but that’s not the end of it. We learn to resolve our fights because at the end of the day we are together in this workspace and not alone!
As Khadija and Anushka, we wanted a workplace which accepts our beliefs and our experiences. Our first day at the office was coincidentally the same day. And we both adapted our way into each team without any hesitation. Be it our mental health or our personal faith, they have never been an area of concern in the organisation. When we look at the time spent in the organisation we can confidently say that Social Lens was our choice of workspace not because of the work but for its culture. And culture is built with its people. Amidst the chaos of work, we have found a space for ourselves where we are accepted for our authentic selves.
