Gender discrimination comes in various forms

Hello! 👋

Welcome to the seventh edition of She Got You!, a newsletter in which I share my conversations with women who create, make a difference, and are building the workplaces of the future.

Today's conversation is with Ila Reddy, who handles communications strategy at Urgent Action Fund, a women and non-binary human rights foundation that offers a monetary and support ecosystem. 

Thanks to Substack's network, I discovered Ila's newsletter आईना (meaning mirror in Hindi), where she writes about her travel. She calls the newsletter an extension of her blog with the same name. That's how I began to follow her work on other platforms and was fascinated with everything she does. 

I wanted to discover more about her and how she's got you! And that's what you'll find in this edition. 👇

Sunaina: Please tell me about yourself and what you do.

Ila: I am a non-profit consultant and travel enthusiast. Work takes me to places off the tourist map, while curiosity ensures I always keep my travel shoes on and seek out offbeat travel experiences. I write about my journeys and explorations in my Substack newsletter and blog. I love being in natural landscapes and chasing sunsets. My home is like a library, and in my free time, I enjoy reading books and listening to Einaudi, Ali Sethi, and African Kora players. I'm a huge fan of Mary Oliver's poetry and enjoy discovering new poets through social media.

Sunaina: What inspired you to venture into public policy, social impact, and development?

Ila: I studied political science in college because it sounded interesting and very different from maths and commerce (which is the stream I took in senior secondary school). While I loved studying the theoretical concepts in class, it felt remarkably disconnected from the reality of our times. 

In my free time, I started volunteering with a youth-led nonprofit, learning more about the Right to Information and exploring how young people can become active citizens. I learned a lot and discovered that working on human rights, social justice, and development truly brings me joy, fulfilment, and a sense of purpose.

Sunaina: Can you discuss some initiatives you're working on at Urgent Action Fund, Asia & Pacific?

Ila: Urgent Action Fund, Asia & Pacific is a feminist fund that supports the resistance and resilience of women, trans, and non-binary human rights defenders and activists in Asia and the Pacific. I work in the communications team and constantly strive to make our content (online and offline) more accessible, engaging, inspiring, and representative of the diverse voices and feminist movements of our region.

Sunaina: What's your career's most significant turning point so far?

Ila: There's no one significant turning point. My professional life has been a journey, starting from my college days when I volunteered at a youth-led nonprofit. Since then, I have worked with grassroots community organisations, large-scale NGOs, government, tech startups, and international nonprofits. Each experience has been unique in its own right and taught me so much about myself, the world, and life. While some experiences gave me life lessons and lifelong friends, others helped hone my professional skills. Each role and place had its purpose, and I am grateful for it all.

Sunaina: Has your gender ever been a disadvantage at work? If yes, can you share an incident and how you dealt with it?

Ila: I have never faced significant gender discrimination at work because I have worked in unique and offbeat organisations, most of which work on women's rights. At the same time, inequalities based on gender, caste, class, language, and nationality are everywhere. There are several risks and discomforts I've had to face while working in rural areas in remote parts of the country, travelling alone at night, being the only woman in the room in leadership meetings, dealing with mansplaining, coping with menstrual cramps and basic sanitation issues while at work, etc. However, I have largely had a good experience with my employers (predominantly men, until recently), who gave me plenty of opportunities and trusted my ability to lead teams and programs.

Sunaina: As someone who has travelled widely, have you encountered places where women don't undergo gender discrimination as much, or is that just a utopian thought?

Ila: There are many levels of gender discrimination, so it is all relative. I have yet to come across a place where women are at par with men — in terms of rights, opportunities, agency, or any aspect of life. At the same time, women have their ways and are more resilient than we give them credit for. Even in places where women still wear the purdah (veil) and seem subdued, there can be a strong-willed and powerful personality underneath who knows what she wants and finds ways to challenge patriarchy.

Sunaina: You solo travel quite a bit, right? What's your advice for women who want to travel solo?

Ila: Don’t be afraid! There's a lot of hullabaloo around solo travel. Women are either made to fear the risks or put on a pedestal for being brave enough to travel alone. If you enjoy exploring places on your own, go for it. If you'd rather travel with friends, families, or even strangers, do that. Basically, you do you!

There will always be risks involved because women everywhere are unsafe in some way or another. It's just the world we live in. So take your precautions and plan ahead. But don't let the fear of what might happen or what others (mostly men) determine how you live your life (or how you travel).

Sunaina: What's next on your travel list and why?

Ila: I am keen to explore Central Asia. Uzbekistan is high on my travel bucket list, and I hope to make it there this year. I have six states left to cover within India, and I hope to bring down that number soon.

So, that was my conversation with Ila. Follow Ila on LinkedIn and Instagram.