WISE pushing skilling and entrepreneurship for Transgenders and Women

Mr. Kaustubh Sonalkar, Principal Co-founder, WISE

1. Story behind the inception of WISE?

I have always been invested in gender issues; with a strong belief, gender diversity can be very enriching for organisations. Through my career across decades and in different cultures and countries, I have seen the power of diverse perspectives - particularly in creative problem-solving. In some of my roles over the years, I have planned and implemented programs for the inclusion of transgender employees into the workforce with very encouraging results.

That set the ground for setting up The WISE Trust - a niche-issue trust dealing primarily with women’s entrepreneurship, health, including menstruation, and transgender issues. WISE expands to Women of India, Sustainability and Environment. The trust had been born in the trying times of the Covid-19 pandemic, with a focus on Women and Transgender issues, through initiatives around education and skilling. The primary objective of the trust has been to enable livelihoods for women and trans persons by creating jobs and facilitating entrepreneurship. All initiatives of the WISE Trust have sustainability at the core.

2. What does WISE plan to do for society?

COVID-19 VACCINATION: The first initiative by WISE was a series of drives to get Mumbai’s transgender population vaccinated against the coronavirus. Organized at the end of Pride Month in June 2021, the drive was conducted in Mumbai in collaboration with the Humsafar Trust andInHarmony. After the success of this drive, a similar event was organized in Navi Mumbai in collaboration with the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) and LCF. A total of 450 Trans people were vaccinated across both drives.

BOOK ON BUSINESS LESSONS DISTRIBUTED TO WOMEN STUDENTS: Further to its mission of educating women and empowering them to become business leaders, WISE has distributed to women students on the verge of starting their careers copies of Fetch Your Own Coffee, a compilation of my management lessons from everyday life.

BUILDING OPPORTUNITY THROUGH SPORTS: WISE is also a keen proponent of sports as an avenue for growth and personal fulfilment. To that end, the Trust has supported the Thane Badminton association to develop future women champions. WISE partnered with the Thane Badminton Association to train and create future badminton champions out of 14 talented girls from rural Maharashtra.

EDUCATION FOR TRANS PERSONS (TRANSCHOOL AND TRANSKONNECT): For the transgender population, WISE has started the Transchool, an endeavor to upskill trans persons in India, who often do not fit into traditional educational institutions. WISE is also behind TransKonnect, the world’s first social media platform dedicated to trans people and a safe place for them to engage, connect and grow.

These are some early initiatives, and we have more in the pipeline.

3. In your opinion, how are NGOs across the country playing a substantial role in filling in the gaps in society?

Government resources and manpower are currently supported by NGOs to effect positive change at scale in India. There is an increasing awareness among individuals as well as organisations about the need to support communities and conserve precious resources of the environment. A slightly dated statistic says that there are about 4 NGOs for every 1000 people in India. At WISE Trust, we have identified key niche areas where we would like to make a difference - primarily around women’s entrepreneurship, women’s sports, menstrual hygiene, and transgender issues. The WISE Trust has won the prestigious Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Pioneering Initiative Award at the 3rd D&I Summit and Awards 2021 for empowering women and transgenders in the pandemic times through sustained health and livelihood initiatives.

4. How do you wish to take the trust ahead?

Going forward, WISE, as a new-age trust, seeks to enable curious, bright youth in every corner of India to make future-focused, sustainable professional choices across business, entrepreneurship, planning, development, culture, sports, and anything else that captures their imagination. Sooner rather than later, the WISE Trust will increase its efforts around women's menstrual health so that they can better manage this critical aspect while pursuing their professional goals. 

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