Enabling the enablers : transforming the lives of middle-aged Indian women

Abstract

Do you remember how your mother would let go of her hobbies and make yours her own? Do you remember how she left her job to devote her full time to you and her husband? If your mother is a homemaker, do you acknowledge and appreciate the work she does for you? She knows about your dreams and goals, have you ever asked her about hers? It's easy to say - she does not have confidence, but have you wondered why? In India, out of 220 million middle-aged women, 77 million of them in spite of living in urban areas have still been unable to follow their dreams and live a truly passionate life. Government, NGOs, startups and awareness camps are all in place for the younger female population, but have we forgotten the population which was once young but deprived of such resources during their youth? Do they have your support and ears to now acknowledge their inner aspirations, which they couldn't when they were your age for lack of freedom in those days? I, with my thesis, have explored these questions and understood that the ecosystem of a middle-aged Indian woman is contained majorly by her husband and children. In order for anyone to really impact her life, an initiative needs to reach her home and talk through her family in the most playful manner and of gender neutral nature. I took the route of family boardgames to raise the collective consciousness of family and nudge them to indulge in deeper conversations. The games are designed to initiate reflective dialogues among the family members on topics from - what each of them really want from their life and how they can best support each other in achieving those dreams, to debunking the stereotypes and stigmas in the society in a gentle and playful manner