The one-day diversity job fair, Vividh 2019, organised at the Nehru Centre in Mumbai, attracted employers and jobseekers in equal numbers.
Along with panel discussions on job opportunities and work culture, a film was also screened at the event, which was aimed at enhancing diversity at the workplace.
Several women, elderly people, differently abled individuals and members of the LGBTQI community participated in the fair hoping to find jobs with organisations that have diversity and inclusion ingrained in their work culture.
In addition to big names from the industry, including IBM, Standard Chartered and Godrej, there were several startups, such as Smartcirqls Infotech present to recruit employees for their diverse workforce.
While about 15-18 big companies participated directly, more than 20 organisations hired indirectly.
The fair saw over 350 candidates participating, of which about 40 per cent were people with disabilities. A significant number of candidates belonged to the LGBTQI community.
Word about the fair was also spread through NGOs, and several participants belonged to places outside Mumbai too.
In India, workplaces still harbour biases against members of the LGBTQI community. Most offices do not encourage hiring members from the community. Even if they are hired, they end up being paid less than the others. Also, not many offices have the right infrastructure or even the provision to employ people with disabilities.
