Social Work professional, activist, feminist, with three decades of experience, in development and human rights issues working in solidarity with women, children, Persons with Disabilities, People Living with HIV and AIDS, LGBTIQ people and other marginalized communities in countries of Asia (South Asia) and Africa (Southern and Western) in rural, urban, tribal and fragile contexts. Three decades of work at multiple levels, providing insights on global and National frameworks and methodologies to promote human rights, gender equality, inclusion, intersectionality, and feminist leadership for social transformation. Significant experience in cocreating, local to global actions around disability, gender based violence, HIV and AIDS, SRHR for women, youth and children. Highly skilled leader, with expertise in development of results based strategic frameworks, policy documents, training manuals, campaigns, advocacy and research papers. Strong track record in strategic leadership, project management, partnership development, multi country programme anchoring, consortium management, resource mobilization and donor engagement. A people’s person, passionate about rights, with proven abilities in starting and nurturing new initiatives, takes risks without fear of failure and leads by example.
Monica Sakhrani is a Mumbai based consultant with over 30 years of diverse experience comprising legal practice, teaching, research and consulting. She has a post graduate in both law and social work and has submitted her doctoral thesis which she is pursuing from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai. She practiced law for over 15 years initially in Chennai and then Mumbai working with largely marginalized communities doing constitutional, criminal, labour and family law. She joined TISS Mumbai as a faculty in 2008 in the School of Social Work teaching courses of law. Since 2016 she has been an independent consultant working on socio-legal issues. She has conducted research on gender and law including a 4-state study on the implementation of the Protection of Women Against Domestic Violence Act (PWDVA) and an evaluaton of Special Cells in Maharashtra. She was the Chairperson of the Local Committee (Mumbai Suburban) from 2015 to 2022 and has been a POSH consultant since 2002. She is Program Advisor Fair Trial Program, a program of Project 39A of National Law University Delhi since 2018. She is also a consultant with GenderSphere.
Amrita Gupta brings 15 years of experience in mixed method research, monitoring and evaluation and policy review with a passion for advancing gender equality, women’s health, and economic opportunities. She has a Master’s in Public Health, Health Policy Economics and Finance from TISS, Mumbai, and a Masters in Sociology from Delhi University. She has worked the Data Lead- Global Accountability at the Global Fund For Women, She also led research, monitoring and evaluation and strategic communication for Azad Foundation India, a non-profit organization that empowers women to become professional drivers. She has published papers, presented at various conferences, and conducted workshops on gender and work, women in transport, livelihoods and skills. She was also associated with the BITS School of Management (BITSOM) as a visiting faculty member for Sociology. She is also a core team member of Gender & Equity Network South Asia GENSA which is a special interest group of the community of evaluators South Asia.”
Arundhati is a feminist activist, researcher and facilitator with over a decade of experience in organising around women’s human rights and feminist leadership-building across India and South Asia. With degrees in History and Sociology from the University of Delhi, she dabbled in travel writing and sports journalism for a few years, and brought her love for stories and storytelling into her curiosity about the role of media and histories in fostering solidarities and young feminist movements. She has worked with organisations across India to build intersectional feminist perspectives and programs, and done extensive research on the role of resourcing in building and sustaining feminist movements.
Jyotsna Siddharth is a development practitioner, artist, and advocate for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), intersectionality, gender, caste, and minority rights. They have served as the Country Director of Gender at Work India, leading institutional change initiatives and fostering inclusive workplaces. With extensive experience in non-profits and UN agencies, Jyotsna works at the intersection of policy, advocacy, and social justice. A Chevening Scholar, they hold a Master’s in Development Studies from TISS Mumbai and a Master’s in Social Anthropology from SOAS, University of London. Recognized for their contributions, they were a Cosmopolitan Blogger’s Award nominee (2023) for Dalit Feminism Archive and featured in Edex & New Indian Express’s 40 Under 40 (2020). Jyotsna is a peer advisor to Feminism in India, The Rights Collective UK, and CPA Project. Their work has been widely published and showcased in leading media, academic, and cultural platforms.
Pooja is a seasoned executive coach, team coach, and consultant with extensive experience in leadership development, change management, and diversity & inclusion. She has worked with senior leaders across industries, helping organizations drive transformation through diagnostics, agile methodologies, and evidence-based coaching. Drawing from mindfulness, psychodrama, positive psychology, and cognitive behavioral therapy, she enables individuals and teams to unlock their full potential. In her corporate career, Pooja held multiple leadership positions at a Big 4 firm, leading change management initiatives for Fortune 100 companies across the US, Europe, and Asia. She managed high-performing, multicultural teams, delivering large-scale projects for clients such as American Express, Cisco, and Vodafone. A recognized expert in talent and leadership trends, she has co-authored reports with NASSCOM and NHRDN. Passionate about inclusive workplaces, she consults on gender, diversity, and inclusion policies, with clients including Schneider Electric, Amazon, and ILO.
As a young feminist researcher and practitioner with 2+ years of experience in the development sector, Apoorva’s work is highly embedded in gender and human rights research. Her work is currently focused on feminist pedagogy, organizational assessments, and capacity building. She is also engaged in gender and data intersections, using data visualization and evidence generation to bridge gaps in gender research and make insights accessible. Apoorva holds a Master’s degree in Global Studies from Ambedkar University and a Bachelor’s in Political Science from Gargi College, University of Delhi. She has contributed to research-driven initiatives on education, gender, and social justice through her work with organizations like ICRW and GIST Impact. She founded and led a social initiative, Sakhi Saathi, focused on empowering domestic workers and their children, addressing critical issues of education and SRHR. With a deep commitment to driving social impact, she aspires to continually expand her expertise and contribute to meaningful change.
Zarka, born and raised in Jammu and Kashmir, she holds a postgraduate degree in Gender Studies from Ambedkar University, Delhi and a bachelor’s degree in Literature and History from Gargi College, University of Delhi. With a passion for human rights and gender equality, since her early college years Zarka has actively engaged with organizations dedicated to social causes. Zarka has also worked closely with grassroot organizations in Kashmir, including the JKCCS and APDP. Her master’s thesis, titled “Enforced Silences: A Study of Women’s Mourning and Resistance,” explores the gendered experiences of loss and suffering among women in the Kashmir conflict. Following her postgraduate studies, Zarka was a fellow at IUIF, where she received intensive training in communication and media-related fields. In 2022, she was awarded the IUIF Fellowship Grant for her podcast proposal placing it among the nine communication projects unconditionally approved by the distinguished jury within the entire cohort.
Malathi Lata Pillalamarri is a seasoned finance and administration professional with over 16 years of experience in donor fund management, financial planning, and regulatory compliance. She has led financial operations for large-scale development programs in poverty alleviation, health, nutrition, water, and education, supported by global organizations such as the World Bank, IFAD, and the Global Fund. Her expertise includes financial strategy, budgeting, grant administration, internal controls, audit facilitation, statutory compliance, procurement, and payroll management. She has been instrumental in strengthening financial systems, ensuring compliance with donor and regulatory requirements, and optimizing operational efficiencies. In addition, she has actively worked on building the financial management capacities of partner organizations, enhancing their ability to maintain transparency and accountability in fund utilization. With a strong commitment to financial governance and accountability, Malathi brings a strategic approach to resource management, risk mitigation, and process improvement, supporting organizations in achieving long-term sustainability and impact.
Vandana Mahajan is a gender equality and social inclusion expert with over 35 years of experience across South Asia and East Asia. She specializes in gender-responsive development, inclusive education, children’s rights, and women’s and girls’ empowerment. Vandana has collaborated with UN agencies, INGOs, and government programs, including a six-year tenure with UN Women as a Gender and HIV Programme Officer for South Asia. She has designed and led capacity development initiatives using intersectional and feminist approaches, supporting strategic visioning and policy advocacy. As an independent consultant for 24 years, she has worked with organizations such as UNICEF, UN Women, and CREA, focusing on gender training, evaluation, and strategy-building. She has also contributed to national gender training programs in India. Vandana holds a Master’s in Social Work (MSW) and a Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Home Science (Child Development) from Delhi University. Her expertise lies in fostering transformative, participatory change in development programs.
Dr. Shraddha Chigateri is a feminist researcher and evaluator with over 25 years of experience in the field of gender justice and women’s equality. She is a founding member of GenderSphere, and has carried out research on women’s rights, conducted complex evaluations, and contributed to strategy building processes for global, regional, and national organizations. Previously, she was a Research Fellow at the Institute of Social Studies Trust, New Delhi, where she led and contributed to several research and evaluation projects on women’s work, including paid and unpaid care work, social security, and violence against women. This includes leading and contributing to a long-term project focused on building the field of gender and evaluation in India. Prior to this, she taught at the Universities of Warwick and Keele in the UK. Dr. Chigateri holds a PhD and LLM from the University of Warwick and a BA LLB (Hons) from the National Law School of India University. She is currently based in Singapore.
Asmita Basu is an expert in gender rights, human rights law, and policy advocacy with over 25 years of experience in project management, research, and capacity development. She has worked extensively across India, Bangladesh, Lao PDR, and Yemen, contributing to legal reform, gender mainstreaming, and rights-based interventions. Asmita was instrumental in drafting India’s Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act and implementing large-scale gender-based violence prevention projects. She has served as a consultant for UN Women, UNDP, and various international development organizations, evaluating programs on refugee rights, child protection, and labor rights. She is also an instructor for the GenderPro Initiative at George Washington University. She holds an LLM in Public International Law from the University of Nottingham (Chevening Scholar) and a BA LLB (Hons) from the National Law School of India University. She has authored multiple research publications on gender justice and legal frameworks.
Founding and Managing Director of GenderSphere, has over two decades of experience in gender equality, feminist leadership, and institutional change. Her expertise lies in developing and evaluating feminist leadership models that challenge traditional power structures, emphasizing participatory and qualitative approaches to understand the lived experiences of women leaders. As the former executive director of Gender at Work Global, she has designed and led numerous global research and evaluation projects on gender justice and inclusive leadership. Sudarsana has led numerous high-impact projects, and provided strategic direction, technical assistance, and financial management for global governance portfolios, further enhancing her expertise in large-scale program monitoring and evaluation. With advanced degrees in Public Administration from Columbia University and Business Administration from XLRI School of Management, Sudarsana has developed a strong career in both international and grassroots settings.
