Sylvia Duckworth’s Wheel of Power/Privilege is an instrument that gives a comprehensive and intersectional view of how power and privilege come to exist in social structures and how we navigate these power structures in a relational manner. It has many versions being used by mental health professionals, social workers, educators and other individuals all over the world.

However, we identified the need for a comprehensive version, centered in the Indian sociocultural context and which captures the experiences of power and powerlessness of people living all over India.

To strengthen it, we have collaborated with mental health professionals, subject matter experts and people with lived experience, to review the positioning across the different social identities, and developed this tool.

Introducing

for the first time ever

Move the slider on the image to the left to view the entire wheel. 

• The centre of the wheel represents POWER and the closer you are to this centre, the more power you experience. As you move towards the margins of the circle, you move away from power/ privilege and towards marginalization.

• There are different factors along each component of the wheel. We have attempted to plot all identities that fall under the respective factor, under the belt it may fit best.

• Your individual experience of powerlessness is intersectional, i.e., you can be positioned in different belts along different factors; you can experience more power in one area and less power in another.

• Please note that there is subjectivity in experience and this wheel cannot encapsulate the entirety of human experiences.

• Context may impact any individual’s positioning (e.g., what part of the country they are in). Also, relevance to the current ecosystem is considered in conceptualizing this wheel, this is not to invalidate any person’s experience of discrimination.

Developing Team

Disha Paul

Ayush Biswas

Trupti M.

Ganga Nair

Contributions by:

Suvrita

Anis Syed

Karolin Susan

Michelle Sonali

Mariya Samreen

Design By: Phosphenes Design & Film | https://www.pfdllp.com/

Expert Reviewers

Karthikeyan, Founder- Srishti Village

Smruti Ranjan Jena – Development Professional & Researcher

Shruti Sharada, Queer Feminist Communication Specialist

Mansi Gupta, Gender & Business Expert

Pooja Priyamvada, Academic Director- International Institute of Mass Media 

Rajeev,  Anti-Caste movement Social Worker and Advocate

Debojit, Journalist, Writer, Editor

Antic Santosh, Counsellor & ex-priest working with marginalised communities across India

Divya, Founder – Blue Dawn

Abdul Matin, Asst. Professor, Political Science

Lakshmi C, MBA Candidate & Scholar, University of Oxford

Ankush B, Journalist, Editor

Elisha, Journalist

Since publishing the Indian wheel of power & powerlessness, we have launched an in-depth exploration of each factor within the wheel. In the months of September – November 2022, we have been looking at the interactions between ‘sexual orientation, ‘gender identity’ and ‘relationship status vis-a-vis power and marginalization.