Spotlight GEDA Members: One Future Collective

by geda

September 4, 2024

Please tell us about yourself and your work at One Future Collective.

Uttanshi: My name is Uttanshi Agarwal, and the lead for the Just Institutions vertical at One Future Collective. As part of my role, I work closely with organisations and institutions of a diverse kind to explore ways by which we can weave in social justice within their policies, processes, and practices.

One Future Collective is a feminist social purpose organisation based in India with a vision of a world built on social justice, led by communities of care. We exist to advance social justice by catalysing people-power and just institutions. Our work is rooted in urban India with a focus on advancing and promoting the rights of women and queer folks, while working with stakeholders from around the globe.

Founded in the year 2017, we have provided access to justice services to 45,000+ people, built leadership capacities in 1,00,000+ people with 100+ women and queer South Asian fellows as leaders. Additionally, we have also worked with 200+ partner organisations on systemic transformation and advocated for policy.

2. Why is data at the intersection of gender and environment/climate important to One Future Collective?

Uttanshi: The negative gendered impact of the climate emergency today cannot be overstated. As a feminist organisation working towards furthering social justice at a global level, we believe that any effort focusing on furthering social justice for women and queer folks will be inadequate and incomplete if we do not also understand its intersections with the climate and the environment. This intersection is further complicated by other lived experiences, such as those of caste and class. Context-specific, disaggregated quantitative and qualitative data helps us situate our work within these intersections, enabling us to develop solutions and interventions which are intersectional and capable of responding to the complex multidimensional crises within which we exist. This data helps us develop and implement evidence-based interventions while also ensuring that the voices of those who are most impacted are the voices which are guiding our process and programs.

3. What inspired One Future Collective to become part of GEDA?

Uttanshi: We are always looking for opportunities to expand our network and find opportunities to collaborate with like minded individuals and organisations. We believe that by doing this, we are able to strengthen both our individual as well as collective potential to make our shared commitment to a socially just world a reality and GEDA emerged as a fantastic resource for us to build this network and collaborate with a diverse group of stakeholders across the world. We were also deeply inspired by the mission and vision that GEDA exists to serve which is to facilitate systemic, gender-transformative shifts in policy, programming, financing and planning.

4. What are you looking forward to in terms of gender and environment data this year (or what really inspired you this year)?

Uttanshi: I am really hopeful about the support and attention that the intersection of climate and gender is receiving at the global scale. Although slow, I believe that the progress being made is meaningful. What inspires us is the power and potential of collective action through network organisations such as GEDA in pushing the global agenda of climate and gender forward.

5. Is there a specific resource you’d like to share with the GEDA Insights Network?

Uttanshi: We would like to share our conversation cards on Inequity and climate Change that we developed as part of our role as Gender Equity and Social Inclusion (GESI) learning partners for Laudes Foundation, a global philanthropic organisation. It is a set of cards that we hope members of the Network use within their teams and communities to spark and sustain dialogue on climate change that centres around human rights, social justice, and inspires us to challenge and transform systems of oppression and exclusion.