Savita Jadhav Founder + Secretary – Sadhana Institute for Sustainable Development Pune, Maharashtra – India Savita grew up in and has been working in cantonments, which are former Army areas created by the British that don’t have the same bodies and governance as the rest of India. Her grandfather started the schools in her cantonment, where she studied psychology and … Read More

Sabah Khan Co-Founder and Managing Trustee – Parcham Consultant – Tata Institute of Social Sciences Mumbai, Maharashtra – India Sabah is a feminist activist whose interests are minority rights with a focus on women.  She follows this passion through her voluntary engagements. She co-founded Parcham, a group dedicated to breaking stereotypes based on religion, class, caste, gender and other markers … Read More

Ratnamala Sudesh Vaidhya Regional Coordinator – Mahila Raisatta Andolan Nagpur, Maharashtra – India Ratnamala is an elected representative at the village level. She works with elected women officials and women from the community in six districts and sees the value in building a connection between the two groups. She is especially interested in working with young women who are educated … Read More

Prabha Desai Director – Sanmitra Trust Projects Mumbai, Maharashtra – India Prabha has a long history of working with HIV positive women, sex workers, and trans women in the second-largest Mumbai slum. She implemented a project funded by the Gates Foundation from 2004 to 2012. She sees the challenge of women’s economic empowerment as not just about training and entering … Read More

Pratibha Ukey Project Coordinator – Prakriti Nagpur, Maharashtra – India Pratibha’s work is centered in the Gandhian ideology of rural development which believes in the equality of men and women and that each individual has the potential for growth and if given opportunities. Since 1998, she has worked in the rural areas of Central India’s underdeveloped and underprivileged villages and … Read More

Nanda Gaikwad District Coordinator – Janawadi Rural Development Parbaani, Maharashtra – India Nanda believes in collective leadership and empowering women through building collectives. She was elected village chief from 2005 – 2010 and wants to continue fighting the elections and be an example to other people in her community. Nanda has worked with women’s groups, elected representatives, child labor organizations, … Read More

Naseem Shaikh Associate Director of Programs – Swayam Shikshan Prayog Osmanabad, Maharashtra – India Born and raised in Solapur, Naseem started working with Swayam Shikshan Prayog (SSP) in 1996. She started her work as a program coordinator and has focused on implementing different approaches and initiatives to women’s economic empowerment in SSP. Naseem began addressing issues of health, hygiene, and … Read More

Minakshi Birajdar President – Integrated Agricultural Rural Development Organization Aurangabad District, Maharashtra – India Minakshi’s role is to gather and share information about government schemes to women. She works with self-help groups and the local government on economic and social empowerment and access to information. As President, she conducts staff reviews, and monitors and designs new training programs. Her community … Read More

Manisha Tokale President – Jagan Pratishtan Beed District, Maharashtra – India Manisha has been an activist since she earned her BA in human rights and has worked on farmers’ access to seeds and water rights, on sex workers rights, and in caste-based advocacy on issues of child marriage, education and land rights, and bonded labor. She has worked with Dalit … Read More

Malti Sagane State Covener, Mahila Rajsatta Andolan – RSCD Maharashtra – India Malti Sagane is passionate about women’s leadership and political influence and trains elected women officials to understand their roles. Many elected women don’t know their duties, rights, and responsibilities despite the requirement that 50% of seats in Parliament and legislative assemblies are reserved for women. With the right … Read More