BUTTERFLY EFFECT

MG Motor India invited us to take a look at their Halol (Gujarat) manufacturing facility where they have created a more egalitarian workplace with the highest percentage of woman blue-collar workers in the automobile manufacturing industry

- Sayantan De

THE WORLD WE LIVE IN IS NOT BUILT FOR women. This extends to almost everything we see around us. Here are some instances: income disparity between men and women of similar rank and experience, medicines wherein doses are usually calculated on male body weight, public restrooms for men and women are given equal floor space despite different needs, and something as ubiquitous as a smartphone-it has become so big that it is increasingly difficult for women to operate an average-sized device, considering the average screen size has ballooned to 6.4 inches.

In terms of cars, for a long time, the crash-test dummies were based on the average male body, which meant women were 47 per cent more likely to incur serious injury. Also, protective equipment more often than not doesn't account for different seating positions, as female drivers tend to sit closer to the steering wheel due to the shorter length of their legs.

MG sought to change this when developing their cars, accounting for woman drivers right from the conceptualisation stage and, during testing, they ensured the assessment teams had as much diversity as possible to account for a varied user pool.