ABOUT US

Samāna Centre for Gender, Policy and Law, is a leading consultancy focused on equality, diversity, equity and inclusion (and related capacity building), in a multidimensional manner.  

The Centre based in India, works, as consultants / advisors to leading corporates, private equity and venture capital funds, accelerators and incubators, trade bodies, government entities, financial institutions, philanthropic organisations, educational institutions, startups, and all forms of business entities, across multiple geographies including Europe, Asia Pacific (including India & Singapore), United States of America & United Kingdom, Australia and the Middle East through six key verticals :

(I) Gender Impact Investing, ESG & Women’s / Transgender Economic Empowerment;

(II) Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) in Projects, Programmes and Policy;

(III) Gender Mainstreaming in Philanthropy & CSR;

(IV) Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) at the Workplace Across Segments, with a specialisation in Gender & LGBTQ Diversity, Equity & Inclusion;

(V) Anti Sexual Harassment / PoSH Advisory/ Code of Conduct/ Child Safeguarding; &

(VI) Advocacy on Related Laws & Policy.

The Centre creates strategic initiatives and solutions, across varied (quantitative and qualitative) parameters, customized to the relevant sector and also specifics of the organization, and believes in working in a collaborative manner with all stakeholders and across genders, to create workable solutions based on innovative thinking and an inclusive and pragmatic approach.

Samāna which means “equal” represents our vision - the progressive realization of the cherished Constitutional (and fundamental) Right to Equality, and the Sustainable Development Goal of Gender Equality outlined by the United Nations. 

The Centre was founded by Aparna Mittal, a leading lawyer with over twenty years of experience in practicing law in India.

OUR SERVICES

I. Gender IMPACT INvesting, ESG & WOMEN’S / TRANSGENDER ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT

We offer a range of services to financial institutions, investors, private equity and venture capital funds, accelerators and incubators, corporates, and trade bodies to promote gender impact investing and women’s economic empowerment (including transgender economic empowerment), such as:

Economic Empowerment: Advising on and creating specific initiatives for promoting women’s economic empowerment/ transgender economic empowerment, and financial inclusion including addressing the prevalent systemic challenges in the same.

Entrepreneurship: Advising on and curating a wide range of initiatives, programmes and trainings, to promote women entrepreneurship/transgender entrepreneurship, including working with a variety of stakeholders – to create specific interventions across thrust areas.

Gender Lens In Investing/ ESG Compliance: Advising conglomerates, corporates, private equity, venture capital funds, investors, and investing entities to devise and incorporate gender (and gender diversity) based diligence, conditionalities and milestones (and related monitoring) through the investment cycle and legal documentation.

Gender Impact Investing: Advising private equity and venture capital funds, accelerators and incubators and trade bodies on adopting the gender lens in their programmes and processes, and curating specific goals, processes, and initiatives to enable gender impact investing.

II. GENDER EQUALITY AND SOCIAL INCLUSION  (GESI) in PROJECTS, PROGRAMMES AND POLICIES

We offer a range of services to public and private sector companies, international and domestic financial institutions, government bodies, and policy makers, such as:

Strategic GESI Advisory: Providing comprehensive gender consultancy advice on (i) projects (such as infrastructure or development projects) of public or private sector companies including those aligned with obligations stipulated by international and domestic financial institutions, and (ii) programmes and policies of public sector entities, government bodies and policy makers; in each case to integrate multi thematic gender based initiatives therein, to promote gender equality and social inclusion.

 Impact Assessment: Evaluating projects programmes and initiatives to assess gender equality, impact and integration from a  multidimensional perspective.

 Surveys: Assisting in imbibing the gender lens into surveys conducted by range of public / private / government organisations.

III. GENDER MAINSTREAMING IN PHILANTHROPY AND CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

We offer a range of services to philanthropic organisations, corporates investing in corporate social responsibility and NGOs (irrespective of the focus area of such philanthropic / CSR activities), such as :

Gender Lens: Advising on how to adopt the gender lens as a focal point of policy and program making, and through different stages (such as problem identification, planning, project making, budgeting, monitoring, implementing, and evaluating).

Project Curation: Customizing existing and new programmes and initiatives to  bring in the gender lens and to make women and members of the LGBT community  – direct and  targeted beneficiaries.

Impact Assessment: Evaluating programmes and initiatives to assess gender impact from a  multidimensional perspective.

Training & Workshops: (i) To promote gender awareness, sensitization and diversity and inclusion; and (ii) Training on gender mainstreaming and adopting the gender lens.

Goal Setting: Curating gender goals based on the specific industry / sector.

IV. DiVERSITY, EquiTY & INCLUSION (DEI) AT THE WORKPLACE ACROSS ALL SEGEMENTS, WITH A SPECIALISATION IN GENDER/ LGBTQ DiVERSITY, EquiTY & INCLUSION

We offer a range of services, to companies, trade associations, private equity and venture capital funds, educational institutions, all forms of business entities, and leading non profits, to promote equality, diversity, equity, and inclusion, and anti discrimination such as the following.

While gender and LGBTQ themes are a key focus area for us, our work cuts across themes and segments of diversity such as religion, faith, ethnicity, race, age, abilities, caste, language, customs, socio- economic backgrounds, gender, sexual orientation and more.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Strategy- Developing end to end DEI strategies and road maps and guidance on implementation and continued monitoring.

Human Resources and Diversity & Inclusion - Policies & Initiatives: Preparing and advising on an array of customised initiatives/ policies (across sectors and functional verticals) including DEI charters and policies, Anti discrimination and equal opportunity policies, leave policies, flexible work arrangements, hiring, relaunch and retention programmes, mentoring and leadership programmes, tackling gender career gaps and pay gaps; charters for employee resource groups (ERGs), entire spectrum of gender neutral policies and progressive policies for inclusion across themes including transgender and LGBTQ inclusion at the workplace, including as mandated by the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act 2019.

Diversity & Inclusion Consulting & Capacity Building: Preparing end to end solutions for promoting diversity, equity and inclusion for all segments of diversity and with a specialisation in aspects related to women, the LGBTQ community, and Transgender persons. This includes bespoke advice on best practices, progressive policies, processes and initiatives, and comprehensive diversity, equity and inclusion consulting- keeping in mind the specifics of the company/ organisation, such as sector and range of business activities, and growth stage.

Diversity & Inclusion Assessments: Curated programs such as gender diversity and inclusion assessments, LGBTQ diversity and inclusion assessments; entailing a deep dive into various bespoke (quantitative and qualitative) parameters devised by us & workplace benefits analysis; and recommending specific and customized solutions based on the findings of the aforesaid.

Training & Workshops: A wide range of customized training and workshops both virtual (online) and in person (offline) across themes.

These can be  further customized respectively for the demography of the participants such as senior management,  HR / D&I/ Legal teams, and for all employee bands and cadres.

These include:  

• Reimagining diversity, equity and inclusion at the workplace across verticals;

• Addressing unconscious bias- across a range of themes;

• Gender Inclusion – key aspects and best practices across a range of themes;

• LGBTQ inclusion – key aspects and best practices- across a range of themes;

• Transgender inclusion – key aspects and best practices across a range of themes including requirements mandated under the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act 2019;

• Age Inclusion - key aspects and best practices- across a range of themes;

• Caste Inclusion and Anti Discrimination - key aspects and best practices- across a range of themes;

• Race Inclusion and Anti Racism/ Racial Discrimination - key aspects and best practices- across a range of themes;

• Creating and leveraging allies at the workplace;

• Leadership development and mentoring for high potential women across a range of topics and focus areas related to professional and career development;

• Language as a tool for Inclusion;

• Inclusive Hiring - pitfalls and good practices

• Multiculturalism;

• Creating Respectful Workplaces;

• Code of Conduct awareness and implementation; and

• Fostering a culture of anti discrimination and anti harassment at the workplace.

Client Interface: In certain customer facing sectors such as hospitality, healthcare, aviation. entertainment (including cinema business), education, real estate, advertising and retail - promoting gender sensitization and inclusion (with a special focus on LGBTQ persons) through customised policies, processes and training, so as to enhance overall customer experience.

Vendor Integration/ Supplier Diversity: Advising on and creating initiatives for extending learnings, sensitization, and best practices to vendors / suppliers on all themes of diversity with a special focus on gender diversity, LGBT Inclusion, and anti sexual harassment measures. Preparing appropriate provisions related to compliance and conditionalities in vendor contracts.

V. ANTI SEXUAL HARASSMENT / PoSH ADVISORY /Code of Conduct / CHILD SAFEGUARDING

We offer a range of services to companies, private equity and venture capital funds, educational institutions, startups, all forms of business entities, non profits, and educational institutions to prevent, prohibit and redress sexual harassment at the workplace, such as :

PoSH Policies: Preparing and advising on progressive internal polices for prevention, prohibition and redressal of sexual harassment in accordance with the Indian anti sexual harassment laws (PoSH Act) and emerging best practices.

PoSH Employee Sensitisation/Training: Customised PoSH trainings and workshops, for all employee cadres, managers, senior leadership, third party staff, faculty and students, on sensitization about sexual harassment, and measures for prevention and redressal of the same as per the PoSH Act and applicable rules, and the internal policy applicable to them.

We have capability of conducting these in multiple vernacular Indian languages (in addition to English and Hindi).

PoSH IC Training : Comprehensive trainings and capacity building workshops for members of the Internal Committee and HR/legal teams on the key areas under the PoSH Act and evolving jurisprudence, the entire inquiry process and best practices (legal as well as soft skills) for conducting a fair, transparent, confidential and thorough inquiry into a complaint of sexual harassment at the workplace as per the PoSH Act.

External Member: Acting as external member (of the IC set up under the PoSH Act) in select companies.

Code of Conduct: Preparing and advising on comprehensive code of conduct in accordance with applicable Indian laws and emerging best practices .

Code of Conduct Trainings: Customised Conduct of Conduct trainings and workshops, for all employee cadres and managers.. We have capability of conducting these in multiple vernacular Indian languages (in addition to English and Hindi).

Child Safeguarding/ Protection Policies: Preparing and advising on progressive internal polices for child protection and safeguarding including prevention, prohibition and redressal of child sexual abuse at the workplace.

Child Safeguarding/ Protection Training: Customised trainings and workshops, for all employee cadres on best practices for child safeguarding and child protection at the workplace including measures for prevention and redressal of child sexual abuse.

We have capability of conducting these in multiple vernacular Indian languages (in addition to English and Hindi)

VI. ADVOCACY oN RELATED LAWS AND POLICY

We offer a range of advocacy and advisory services to government entities,  law and policy making bodies, civil society participants, non profit organizations and NGO’s, enterprises and individuals, on a wide array of themes including labour and employment laws, entrepreneurship, financial inclusion, entire gamut of gender laws, LGB/transgender laws, and anti sexual harassment laws / PoSH; such as:

Legal Reform: Addressing lacunae in law and policy including by seeking specific amendments and / or judicial intervention.

Affirmative Action: Advising on law and policy to enable affirmative action, eliminating regressive social practices and norms, and promoting equality, equal opportunity, diversity and inclusion.

Legal Awareness: Devising focused initiatives and programmes to disseminate information about legal rights; and promoting a rights based gender discourse.

Training & Workshops: (i) To promote gender sensitization and diversity and inclusion; (ii) Creating awareness for mainstreaming and inclusion of LGBTQ persons; (iii) To train diversity and inclusion consultants, gender consultants, LGBT subject matter consultants, on best practices across a range of theme (iv) To train administrative and judicial officers.

Research & Data: Undertaking and curating focused research programs to identify, evaluate and address gender gaps; advise on collecting and analysis of information and data using the gender lens.

* Terms of engagement and detailed experience statement for the aforesaid services are available on request.

Client Testimonials

    THE FOUNDER

Samāna Centre was founded by Aparna Mittal.

She is a leading Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Advisor, and corporate lawyer with over 20 years of professional experience, and leads the advisory work across our 6 service verticals.

Her industry knowledge and expertise spans a diverse range of sectors including hotels & hospitality, information technology, hospitals & healthcare, pharmaceuticals, telecom, wholesale distribution, retail and e-commerce, media & entertainment (including cinema business), banking, insurance, oil & gas, infrastructure, hydro power, automotive, real estate, mining, food and manufacturing and service sectors.

Prior to this, she was Partner – Corporate / Mergers & Acquisitions, with India’s leading corporate law firms AZB & Partners, and Luthra & Luthra Law Offices, with more than 13 years of experience in advising leading multinational and domestic clients on significant and complex M&A matters including cross border acquisitions, business/ asset transfers, joint ventures, private equity transactions, investment structuring, commercial contracts, franchises, due diligence, and extensive general corporate and regulatory advisory matters. Labour and employment laws formed a key part of the advisory work undertaken by her.

She has consistently been ranked by international and Indian publications as a leading / recommended advisor for the aforesaid, including :

• Godrej India Culture Lab in their Manifesto for Trans Inclusion at the Workplace, 2018;

• Chambers and Partners (Asia)-  in 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012 and Chambers and Partners (Global) in 2010; and

• Asialaw in 2017 and 2014;

She is a contributing member of :

• G20 EMPOWER -The G20 Alliance for Empowerment and Progression of Women’s Economic Representation focussed on accelerating women’s leadership and empowerment in the private sector.

•  Task Force on Diversity & Inclusion set up by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) since 2019.

• Founding  Advisory Board of ET HR World, a Human Resources focused  platform of the Economic Times, India’s foremost business daily (2020-2023).

She graduated from India’s premier law school, the National Law School of India University, Bangalore (2005), and is registered with the Bar Council, New Delhi (2005).

Recently awarded the “Iconic Women Creating a Better World for All" award at the 32nd edition of the Women Economic Forum, she is also a regular speaker at key conferences, and publishes frequently in national dailies and leading  journals, on issues related to economic empowerment and entrepreneurship, inclusion and diversity, sustainable development goals, workplace harassment, and human resources. She is also a mentor for several leading organisations.

For details please visit the media page of this website.

MEDIA

The information and links provided below, as well as the additional information available on our social media pages (links embedded below), are only a snapshot of some public / key note speaker events (by invite), probono events, features and publications, and do not intend to provide an overview of our extensive professional experience and work credentials which includes a wide range of initiatives, consulting & advisory work, training and workshops undertaken by us for clients, across our practice verticals, across Indian cities - especially Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Gurgaon, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai; Across APAC especially Singapore, United Kingdom, Europe and United States of America.

A detailed capability and experience statement across our service verticals is available on request, please write to us through the contact us page of this website.

SNAPSHOT OF SOME KEY SPEAKER EVENTS (PUBLIC / PRO BONO), PUBLICATIONS, INTERVIEWS, FEATURES, & AWARDS

June 2021: Panel: OXFORD POLICY MANAGEMENT: How can OPM really become LGBT+ friendly? A Better Way Forward: June 24, 2021. PANELISTS: Ms. Aparna Mittal (Founder: Samāna Centre); Ms. Zainab Patel (Director Inclusion & Diversity: KPMG India); Mr Harrish Iyer (Head Diversity, Equity & Inclusion: Axis Bank); & Moderator Mr Shantanu Mishra (Oxford Policy Management)

TERMS OF USE

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1.       This Website has been designed only for the purposes of dissemination of basic information about the Centre. This Website is not an attempt to advertise or solicit clients, and does not seek to create, induce or invite any lawyer-client relationship or similar fiduciary relationship.

2.       The information provided on this Website is provided without any express (or implied) representations and / or warranties whatsoever (including those that may be related to accuracy, reliability, completeness, merchantability or fitness to use). You are hereby advised to seek independent professional advice (including legal advice) and not rely, use or act upon, in any manner whatsoever, the information available on this Website. The Centre shall not be responsible or liable, in any manner whatsoever, for any loss or damage or other consequence caused to you or any third party, due to any reliance on or use of the information available on this Website.

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4.       This  Website may, from time to time, provide links to other third party websites. The Centre has no control over (or responsibility with respect to) the nature, content and availability of such other websites (and the information contained therein). The inclusion of any such links does not imply a recommendation or endorsement by the Centre of the views expressed therein.

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(i)       The Centre collects personal information about persons who contact the Centre, and provide such information (name, contact no, email id etc) to the Centre through the “contact us” form. Further certain information may also be collected automatically when you visit the Website such as operating system, type of browser, IP address, other information collected through cookies etc. Subject to (ii) below, all the information so collected is only used by the Centre for the specific and limited purpose for which it was collected and to the extent necessary.

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7.       These terms of use can be modified by the Centre, from time to time, and the revised terms will be uploaded on the Website.

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