Gen Z Activism Takes On A New Meaning With Activist Research & Leading The Way Is Young Aadi Mendiratta

An economics enthusiast? Definitely. A researcher’s mindset? Most definitely. A gender activist? Undoubtedly. Meet the multifaceted Aadi Mendiratta, a grade 12 student at DPS International Saket whose interests in economics and gender proved to be the fodder for his research. Through his work, he not only brought out some hard-to-digest facts on the gender pay gap but also redefined activism — not all activists need to be on the ground, some are great at using tech at their fingertips to dig up eye-opening information and presenting it in a lucid manner.

Brace yourself for disturbing facts that Aadi can bring up, on the deep-rooted wage gap, from various research papers, articles and studies. Such conversations reinforce the potential of Gen Z in steering us towards deeper introspection and collective change. Aadi’s immense interest in researching the gender pay gap led him to his article, ‘Understanding the Gender Pay Gap via Gender Roles and Prestige.’ His subject of research is not surprising given his personal fondness for economics and his milieu of powerful women for whom conversations around gender & activism were the norm. The young researcher grew up amidst his mom, a mental health counsellor, his aunt and many of his mom’s friends who were into activism. One of whom included the late Betu Singh, a lesbian rights activist who founded Sangini Trust, the first registered non-governmental organization for LBT (Lesbian, Bisexual women and Transgender men). This also shows how meaningful conversations around gender at home can sensitize young boys who can later be thoughtful allies for feminism.

When probed if there were specific instances that led him down the road of the gender pay gap, he alluded to observing the way girls were treated differently in several settings around him. As a young 12-year-old, he felt it was unfair and wrong but didn’t know what to do about it. The alarming differences deepened for him later when he was around 14 years old and had chanced upon one of actor Priyanka Chopra’s interviews where she spoke about the pay disparity in Bollywood. For someone who’d by then developed a fascination for research and was exploring areas of Economics in which the information hunt would be interesting, the actor’s interview proved to be the answer he was looking for – researching the prevalent gender pay gap. Read more on the gender gap in finance.

That’s what led him to further his understanding of the depth of the problem and the nuances of research with his stint at TribesforGOOD in December 2022. Through his thoroughly-research article, Aadi shed the spotlight on the disproportionate burden of unpaid care work levied on women due to gender stereotypes, feminisation of poverty, challenges for women to achieve seniority in their careers and more.  He also focused on how male-dominated professions often had higher pay than those that are female-dominated, regardless of the similarity in their qualifications. The young researcher shared his dismay at what his research uncovered for him – the 1984 study which stated that “women are paid less because they are in women’s jobs and women’s jobs are paid less because they are done by women” still holds true. With that, Aadi found his superweapon – research & more research!

He acknowledged that social stigma was the root of the problem with the wage gap. He hoped it would change sooner than later. The activist in him also partnered with TribesforGOOD to facilitate workshops on financial literacy for women survivors of human trafficking sheltered & rehabilitated at Kshamata, an NGO in Thane, Maharashtra. Once a researcher, always one. And so, unsurprisingly, Aadi plans to research how these women survivors are able to successfully reintegrate with society after their rehabilitation and also the government policies supporting their welfare. Adding further he said, “Once someone knows how to handle themselves financially, they can self-sustain. So, financial literacy and inclusion are invaluable for women. It can also bring about gender equity.” While secondary research has been his expertise so far, Aadi plans to foray into primary research by conducting surveys on the financial self-sustenance of transgender people. He hopes to collaborate with Sangini Trust or Naz Foundation for this.

One may wonder if research is all he doe. Rest assured that he has a thriving life beyond his passion for research too! The youngster loves spending time with his friends, whom he says he has chosen with caution to have the same progressive & sensitive thoughts on gender as he does. He is passionate about music and has learnt the Tabla for eleven years. Aadi has also published blogs for the Times of India on economic matters such as the need for financial inclusion and how the wage gap widens despite the rise in female education. Like several others in a Cricket-worshipping nation, he too is an ardent fan of the game. But what sets him apart from them is his superweapon – research. Aadi couldn’t resist digging for information on how India’s women cricketers had access only to jerseys used by the men’s team, on which they had to cover the names with tape to include their own names. Gender in sports is another intersection he hopes to research sometime later.

Activist Research is the new activism and Aadi Mendiratta is clearly a torchbearer.

Like Aadi, you too can

• Explore research with an activist mindset
• Support the financial inclusion of people from vulnerable backgrounds
• Mobilize the power of data to effect societal change
• Spread awareness through research articles and workshops

Want to research a topic of social interest? Pitch to us at mandeep@tribesforgood.com