From Who Deserves Care to What World Are We Building

From “Who deserves our care?” to “What kind of world are we trying to build, and who can help us get there?”

That’s the shift I’ve been sitting with after reading a provocation on inclusion that cuts across the gender debates dominating my feed.

On the same day, NPR reported new Harvard research showing women who have experienced stalking face a 41% higher risk of heart disease (and rising to 70% for those who’ve sought restraining orders). A dark reminder of the long-term costs survivors carry.

That’s the paradox many movements face. Engagement can be the more strategic path to transformation, but too often it falls on those already carrying the greatest burden. I’ve seen leaders like Rohini Nilekani, who saw this pattern a decade ago, and Natasha Joshi, who has patiently connected the dots and brought the Layaak portfolio at Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies to life, work from that place of empathy despite the imbalance.

The discomfort it is real: when is opposition alone insufficient, and when, even in the face of unfairness & injustice, does engagement offer the greater possibility for change?

Originally written for LinkedIn on 14 August 2025. View original →