Sanjana Sanghi on her address at the Summit of the Future at the United Nations: This moment felt consequential

Sanjana Sanghi recently got the opportunity to deliver an address at the UN General Assembly Hall as the voice of young people during the opening ceremony of the Summit of the Future Action Days in New York.

Talking about it, she says, “To stand up there as the only Indian Women and to be entrusted by the United Nations to be the voice of the youth was a feeling I’ve never felt before. Seeing women from Ghana, Nigeria and young Indian girls saying that they finally felt heard, made all the work and the efforts worth it. This moment felt consequential.”

With this feat, Sanjana joined the list that includes names like former US President Barack Obama and actor Leonardo Di Caprio. Mention that to her and she says, “I can’t help but smile from ear to ear. I’m still trying to process all the emotions as there are certain moments that you don’t quite think can ever be possible yourself, and this one is right up there for me. The 10-year-old me would be beaming with pride.”

The 28-year-old, who is also a UNDP Youth Champion, also got invited to speak at the Goalkeepers Summit presented by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation today and share her insights into mental health crisis affecting girls at The Goals House. With the Indian film industry having gone into an introspective mode post the findings of the Justice Hema Committee Report in the Malayalam film industry, does it affect her mental health too, considering she can be subjected to uncomfortable situations as well? “I am aware of the challenges women can face, and it’s disheartening to know that unsafe work environments still exist in various sectors. I believe it’s essential that conversations about power dynamics continue so that everyone can work in a safe and empowering environment.”

Sharing her insight for the need of the hour for women in films, Sanjana says, “The biggest need for women in the film industry today is equality, whether that’s in terms of opportunities, pay, or representation in diverse roles. We’ve come a long way, and we can see that change happening but there’s still work to be done towards creating a more balanced and inclusive industry.”