GIVE TO GAIN

 

Give to gain

It's that simple.

But when you give never expect that those who have been given are going to give you back. They'll never.

However you will gain from unexpected locations.

If your needs are met you don't have to bear any grudge  towards those who have been recipients of your munificence.

Now comes the question. 

What are you willing to give?

Not a curated social media post or a token gesture, but real giving - the kind that creates opportunity, visibility. advocacy and forward momentum.

It is common knowledge this is a world seeped in gender disparity as well as gender inequality.

Gender equality in practice  means redistribution in access, information, influence and power. It is the very thing people champion in keynote addresses and guard against in closed door meetings.

Redistribution requires someone, somewhere, to loosen their grip.

'Give to Gain' rests on a simple principle. 

When women thrive, everyone benefits. Not metaphorically. Not eventually. But at once.

Leaders shape culture by what they reward and what they refuse to ignore. Silence amplifies injustice.

Today, leaders cannot afford that silence.

When men champion equality visibly, equality shifts from rhetoric to reality. 

Equality is not a power swap. It is the sharing of power. And sharing, as anyone who has ever split a dessert knows, can mean accepting that your share of the pie may be smaller.

If we want parity in leadership, we ought to begin it at home. Who serves, who speaks and whose ambitions are encouraged to expand rather than shrink, matter much.

When domestic labour is shared and ambition is encouraged equally for sons and daughters, we reset expectations. We often call women Griha Lakshmi. But we overload them with invisible work.

True respect means redistributing responsibility. Homes that treat daughters as future leaders and not future liabilities build confidence in everyone.

For, women and men, giving means creating real access to opportunities, leadership roles, fair payouts and the confidence to speak freely.

It also means flexibility, recognition and space to grow without judgement.

Empowerment becomes visible only when it is visible in everyday life.

If treaded with the truest vision, Give to Gain is the gateway for mankind to reach out to the stars.

Lynn Lobo

The Future is She

Circulated with 

Trivandrum Times

Times of India

8 March 2026