Imagine a system where the workforce is supported and the environment is thriving. A system where people have access to the resources and infrastructure they need to be safe, financially secure and more resilient against climate shocks. A system where dignity is embedded into every job in the value chain because corporations have normalized the practice across sectors. The Dignified Work session will challenge us to articulate what it means to create “dignified work” opportunities for the world’s most vulnerable people. We will also explore how competing priorities might influence change rather than stymie progress, shedding light on the collective responsibility philanthropists, donors, entrepreneurs, and practitioners have in creating a more inclusive system for workers.
The key takeaways have been compiled for each Imagine Dignity daytime session from statements made by a diverse group of speakers with unique backgrounds and experiences. Acumen hosted these sessions to provide a forum for conversation and debate. The takeaways are for informational purposes only; they do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of Acumen nor constitute an endorsement by Acumen.
Dignified work means putting workers (inclusive of farmers) at the center of value chains so that the workforce is supported and the environment is thriving (prosper; flourish)
Moving workers from informality to the formal sector is both a climate adaptation and climate resilience play because people in more stable and formal employment are better prepared to handle unforeseen emergencies and climate shocks.
Sabrina Lee Sanchez is Head of Development & Partnerships - Foundations at Acumen with over 16 years of experience in fundraising and program development. Prior to Acumen, Sabrina led business development efforts at Women’s World Banking, securing support from corporations and development aid agencies to create inclusive policies and commercially viable financial solutions for women across the globe. Sabrina holds a BA from New York University in Economic Development and Public Policy.
Mahesh Yagnaraman is the Acumen India Country Director since January 2018, where he leads investing, business development and Acumen Academy for India. He has been an entrepreneur, CEO and strategic professional with over thirty years of experience spanning varied roles and functions across continents. Prior to Acumen, Mahesh founded First Energy Private, Ltd., an alternative energy company. Before that, he ran BP's biomass energy venture which sold cook-stoves and biomass fuel pellets to low-income consumers. Mahesh has a degree in Economics from Delhi University and an MBA from XLRI, Jamshedpur.
Aniket Doegar (he/him) is the CEO and co-founder of HESPL (Haqdarshak Empowerment Solutions Private Limited), a social impact organization working on easing access to welfare. For the last 7 years, Aniket has been leading the Haqdarshak team with his passionate drive for creating impact at scale. Haqdarshak uses a mobile app and field force of 25k+ trained women agents to help citizens discover, apply for, and benefit from Government and Private schemes / benefits. They've helped 2 Million+ families and 35k+ micro businesses get USD 650M+ in benefits.
Shriti Pandey is the Founder of Strawcture, India's first Carbon Negative engineered panel. She is a United Nations Social Impact Challenge Award Winner and 1 of the 10 global circularity based startups in the Respond Accelerator by BMW Foundation. Strawcture’s vision is to convert alternative waste streams into carbon offsetting building materials to convert buildings into carbon sinks from being the biggest polluters.
Gayatri Jolly is the Founder and CEO of MasterG. She has designed MasterG’s Breaking Patterns® Pedagogy and is building an equitable world for every woman who wants to make their mark in the apparel sector by giving them design based skill education to break the patterns of unjust and societal prejudices. Before establishing MasterG, she has also worked with Fena Pvt. Ltd. (Family Business).
