She Leads The Way: Women Shaping Animal Welfare Initiatives In India

I was 24 years old when a person, more than double my age, a leader of an institution of national importance asked me, in an official meeting, why I was interested in animal welfare. Before I could answer he followed up with a second question and asked if I was whiling away my time while waiting to be married. 

To this day, I am befuddled by the question and curse myself for not being quick enough with an apt response. But I am not alone. This is neither a new story nor an uncommon one. Women at every point of their lives are ridiculed, slotted in stereotypes and relegated to positions that will only tie to their reproductive prowess. 

It is the same story for those in the animal protection movement. I have not seen anyone who has not had a head turn when they have said they are working full-time in the movement, and this includes those from within the social sector. If I could have a dime for every time I introduced what I did for a living and a laugh was let out by the person, be it from another industry or someone in the social sector itself, I would be able to fund the entire sector by now.

For quite some time, I wondered if it was me or the cause that was being laughed at. Perhaps it's both. This got me thinking – for how many years more will the world hold a narrowed vision of women? I consider that I am extremely privileged and still the discrimination I have faced has been demoralising and, on many occasions, traumatising. What must others face? 

Discrimination as a form of oppression is omnipresent. Animals and women have often been compared because of how society perceives us. Being valued for our utility and nothing beyond is a pill that is hard to swallow and difficult to overcome; but thanks to change makers and activists before me, there has been some progress in several areas. For now, I will only focus on women’s participation in the animal protection movement and how women have led the way for change that people have often underestimated. 

Women at the forefront of Animal Welfare in India

In animal protection in India, we have always had the privilege of being led by women be it the Member of Parliament Rukmini Devi Arundale, because of whom we have the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 now or be it Maneka Sanjay Gandhi, a member of parliament and so staunch an advocate that her name is virtually synonymous with the cause. Their leadership has brought the issue to the fore and now it’s up to us to get to the root cause of the issue and address the interlinkages between human-focused concerns and animal cruelty issues.

Some of the biggest and best animal crusaders I know are women. The first organisation I volunteered for, Blue Cross of Hyderabad, was founded by Amala Akkineni, a name synonymous with animal welfare, in my hometown of Hyderabad. She founded the organisation in 1992 and has now developed the organisation to do what it does best, implement spay and neuter in the city in a strategic and sustainable manner. Akkineni has built her army of staff and volunteers who help the public while not letting the organisation steer away from its mission – in making Hyderabad a zero-rabies city. 

Then there is Norma Alvares, awarded with the Padma Shri and a fierce advocate in the Bombay High Court who has been at the forefront of causes beyond animal welfare too. A part of the Animal Welfare Board of India for a long time, her focus has been on making large scale impact and scaling up programs to help smaller organisations and communities.

Another person whose phone doesn’t stop ringing is Gauri Maulekhi. She is just a call away to anyone who wants to help an animal in need, and you can always rest assured that until that animal is in a safe place, she won’t stop. She’s worked for over 20 years in the animal protection movement and in the recent decade focused on policy change. While people may recognise her from the now viral campaign showcasing the horse cruelty in Kedarnath, she is also leading the effort to expand the movement through Ahimsa Fellowship - a program that trains and supports animal protection advocates over 10 months, so they become champions of the movement in their individual capacity. 

Other exemplars include Erika Abrams and Shakuntala Majumdar, founders of Animal Aid, Udaipur and Thane CPCA, vocal animal advocates for animals who have carried out direct care work for years and are among the most vibrant and witty people I have met, making the lives of animals and humans so much happier with their approach to work and life.

Closer to home, my own colleague Keren Nazareth, who leads over 80 staff members trying to make India rabies-free, Shreya Paropkari, an advocate, animal law trainer and staunch farm animal welfare advocate who has been protecting animals since the age of 11, and others have been instrumental in leading teams bringing in massive change for animals, the environment and people. These colleagues do not seek the limelight but rather ensure that animals remain the focus of their work. 

For years, women have been at the helm of bringing in change and animal welfare is no different. Quietly but steadily.

The work will have been done and dusted and you may not hear about it because a woman has moved on to the next issue, often at the cost of her own brand, me included. 

Despite the long-lasting change we frequently achieve with limited resources, often, women are often touted to be liabilities in a workspace. There are still some organisations that ask a woman about her “family” plans before they consider making her an offer. While we appreciate women for being more nurturing or hard-working and diligent in their work, the minute there is a drop in attendance or performance, we are also the first ones to dismiss it because of them being a woman and family taking more priority.

This may be why there is still a dearth of women in leadership positions and boards. Women receive at least 15-20% less promotions than men. In animal welfare, I don’t have data but through observations, I have found that till a decade ago, only those women who founded their organisations were in decision-making positions. 

Over the past decade, there’s been an upward shift in the way women have risen to executive leadership and board positions, although there is still a long way to go. At Humane Society International/India, while 33% of our total staff are women (and yes, we need to do better), our board stands at 100% female and our senior leadership is comprised of 85% women. 

While research shows that women are more employable than men, the general workforce still significantly constitutes a larger percentage of men than women. To the extent that women are said to be more collaborative, seek others’ opinions and work harder than men, I see it every single day, women juggling their responsibilities at home and all the expectations that come with that, and still showing up at work and giving it their best. 

So, yes, to that man who a decade and a half ago asked me why I was in animal welfare, my answer will probably not be sharp or witty because the answer is much more complex than he could have possibly fathomed. 

Alokparna Sengupta is the Managing Director at Humane Society International/India. Views expressed by the author are their own

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