Mahananda Chauhan Program Coordinator – Kamdhenu Saamajik Tuljapur, Maharashtra – India Mahananda has worked with women, men and children advocating for women’s rights in her community since 2008. For the past three years, she has been working with single (divorced/ separated/ widowed) women to facilitate their access to government schemes and for children to access education. To date, 150 individuals … Read More

Madhuri Deshkar Regional Coordinator – Om Ganeshaal Institute Bhandara District, Maharashtra – India Madhuri is an environmental activist, trainer, and current member of the Gram Panchayat. There is a fifty percent reservation for women in GPs, and she plans to serve out her term and seek re-election. She sees the potential to create opportunities for women’s economic empowerment from her … Read More

Laila Garda Director – KEM Hospital Research Center Pune, Maharashtra – India Laila received a medical degree from Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences Sevagram Wardha and a masters degree in Preventive and Social Medicine from the Armed Forces Medical College Pune. She was always interested in community health and social issues from the start of her medical career, with … Read More

Kushaverta Bele President – GMVS, Doni Deoni, Maharashtra – India Kushaverta works with women’s self-help groups for loans and savings generation so that women can be economically independent. She has facilitated the creation of lower caste women’s groups and linked them with larger networks so that marginalized women can associate with other women, increase their bargaining power, and negotiate their … Read More

Kumaribai Jamkatan Program Coordinator – Amhi Amicha Arogyasathi Maharashtra, India Since 1998 Kumaribai has worked with the tribal communities in her village as an advocate for equal rights for women. Her focus has been to create and work with women’s groups to promote savings and small businesses within the communities, linking them with government entities and increasing their access to … Read More

Komal Bharam Program Coordinator – Kriya Program Mulshi Valley, Maharashtra – India Komal is a part-time program coordinator and trainer for Kriya, a program that provides training to youth on gender-based issues and for girls on physical fitness as a way to push their boundaries. She teaches girls basic physical skills, like riding bicycles, ultimate frisbee, surfing, kayaking, trekking, and … Read More

Kajal Jain Program Coordinator – MASUM Pune, Maharashtra – India Kajal has been at MASUM for nine years and coordinates the women’s health program. MASUM has five main programs, with three coordinators and 17 staff. Most of Kajal’s work originally focused on nutrition and sanitation, but she soon saw that many health outcomes were due to poverty and limited livelihood … Read More

Deepa Pawar Founder and Director – Anubhuti Maharashtra – India Deepa Pawar is the founder and director of Anubhuti, a young women-led organization working for equity, justice, and democracy. A member of a vulnerable nomadic tribe, Deepa began working as a social activist when she was 14 years old. She has spent nearly two decades working with women, communities, NGOs, … Read More

Anuradha Bhosale Program Coordinator – Avani Organization Kolhapur, Maharashtra – India Anuradha has been working since 1995 with waste pickers. Her focus is on economic empowerment and effective leadership. Through the Avani Organization, she has facilitated the formation of a national association for waste pickers, lead training on “going green,” advocated for access to water and facilities in areas of … Read More

Archana Vaidya Managing Trustee – Krantijyoti Pune, Maharashtra – India Archana is a community leader who strives for new opportunities for herself and her community. She believes in empowering young women by providing them with information that will help them make key life decisions. Archana started out working on child rights issues and comes from a background where she had … Read More