Dasra, one of India's leading social sector change agent, is focused on equity. While it's initiatives do that, the mission desperately needs more focus, energy and impact. India is decades behind achieving the SDG goals set for 2030.

So we challenged the familiar 'equal to' sigh which stands for equality, to creat a new symbol for equity. This idea was packaged in a film that is an homage to an iconic old Indian animated film about unity. The treatment, the sound design, the messaging and the creative idea itself makes this film category worthy. The film is on Dasra's website.

Over the past 25 years, Dasra has been working as an orchestrator for the social sector in India. Their vision is 'Towards a transformed India, where a billion thrive with dignity and equity.' Equity is at the centre of all they do because they are deeply concerned about it.

As per Jan 2023 data, the top 5 per cent own nearly 62 per cent of the total wealth. Ironically, India has the world’s highest number of poor at 228.9 million.

On the Gender Inequality Index 2022, India stands at rank 108 out of 193 countries

As per April 2023 data, more than 55 million people are pushed back into poverty every year because of "catastrophic" health expenses.

So clearly, the pursuit towards equity needs to be galvanised.

The use of symbols has been intrinsic to the Indian heritage, across religion, politics and social change. They create a common language and association to a fuel a movement. This presented an opportunity to create symbol that unites and energises everyone in the fight for equity.

For the film that presents this concept with context and storytelling, we chose to modernize the treatment style used by an iconic Indian animated film about the importance of unity. This simplistic, vulnerable and childlike style also helps establish the need for equity at a very primal and human level.

And the time is now, when a young India, if made more equitable, can contribute to herself and the world - more meaningfully.

Set in a garden, we see two girls and two boys under one tree, jumping to reach the fruits. The two taller children reach the fruits but the shorter ones struggle. We then see an 'equal to' sign appear under the kids and for a while we feel feel that the two shorter children will now reach all the fruits. However, we realise that they can barely reach the one fruit while the taller ones can now reach even more fruits then before. As the two shorter children sigh, we see a few more rungs being added to the base of the 'equal to' sign under them. And this time they access the fruits as easily as the taller ones. They burst out into joy and colour fills the children.

The base now transforms into The Equity Bar symbol, and it gets incorporated into Dasra's mission of Thrive Through Equity.

Even as India actively fights inequality, the economic, gender, geographical, caste and class disparities persist stubbornly. A lot is being done but more has to be done at a more strategic and transformational level.

Dasra, is concerned about the wide divide that still exists in a country that is needs to do lot more to meet SDG goals. They wanted the agency to come up with a rallying cry to help spur further urgency in addressing this.

Objectives: Bring various stake holders to though a common equity mission

1. Challenging embedded power imbalances in policy and funding .

2. ⁠Ensuring gender equity at an opportunity and representation at all levels

3. Representation of minorities and targeted action for disadvantaged groups.

4. Empowering community leadership (proximate) and social protection.

5. Redistribution and downstream changes to create sustainable equity.

Launched at Dasra Philanthropy Week, India's largest philanthropy event.

'Towards a transformed India, where a billion thrive with dignity and equity'. Dasra has been committed to this vision but is concerned that not enough is changing fast enough. This symbol is helping them focus on equity as their singular cause and has also energised the social and funding network to apply itself more efficiently and effectively. It's a visual anchor and an appeal for 'equity'.

With this renewed focus on equity and calls to action, the marginalised across SDG's will benefit from greater and faster impact.

The campaign has reached out to over 1,500 stakeholders and engaged over 75 high net-worth individuals, 100 global funders and 200 top NGO's. Additionally, Dasra have been invited to present the concept at leading global conferences like Skoll World Forum, AVPN Summit, Asia Philanthropy Conference and Rising Bharat Summit.