India Workplace Equality Index launched

India has launched its own workplace equality Index that has been named as “India Workplace Equality Index (IWEI)”. The index has been launched by the Keshav Suri.

Key facts

  • The Keshav Suri Foundation worked with the Stonewall UK, Pride Circle and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) to launch the IWEI in the Indian corporate world.
  • The first report comprise of the diversity and inclusion (D&I) data from across the 65 companies. The index has categorized the companies into 3 categories that is, gold category, silver category and bronze category.

Significance of the Index

  • The India Workforce Equality Index will help in identifying and recognising the employers who are committed to the cause of inclusion of LGBT+.
  • The index also identify the employers who have successfully uphold the rights of LGBT+ in their organisations.
  • The index further recognise the companies that have integrated the inclusion of LGBT+  in their policies, recruitment practices and internal & external communications.
  • It will also evaluate the performance and steps taken by organisations with respect to the policies and benefits, employee network, employee lifecycle,  senior leadership, procurement, monitoring, community engagement and other additional work.

Background

In India, this Index has been launched two years after the Section 377 was repealed. It has been inspired from the  WEI by Stonewall, United Kingdom which is in use since 15 years in Britain.

Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code

This section was introduced in 1861 in India. It is based on the Buggery Act of 1533. This section makes sexual activities which are against the order of nature illegal. In the year 2018, the Supreme Court of India had ruled section 377 as illegal in case of adults and stated that application of Section 377 in cases of consensual homosexual intercourse between adults is unconstitutional and arbitrary. However, section 377 is still in force with respect to the sex with minors and non-consensual sexual acts.