Shilpa Kashelkar

Project Manager – Development Initiative for Self Help and Awakening (DISHA)

Pune, Maharashtra – India

Shilpa is a dedicated professional with more than 20 years of progressive and multifarious experience in Social Work and Interdisciplinary fields. She is a visiting faculty at the College of Social Work, Mumbai University. Shilpa has worked in the social field, primarily with HIV+ groups, the LGBTQ population, and with sex workers within slum communities in Mumbai. She’s also worked with Muslim women for law reform and justice throughout India.

Shilpa has spent many years getting to know different communities, gaining their trust, and learning their issues and cultures in order to be an effective ally and advocate. She moved to Pune in February 2018 to work at DISHA to coordinate various women empowerment projects at rural communities. Presently she is guiding a leadership development program for women self-help group members, and handling a program on gender, economic, legal, political and health issues for girls and women. She’s most active in a Rotary cow project,  where she is committed to encouraging women to take an active part in decision making and financial matters in cow rearing process. She is also connected to state networks that develop and conduct trainings on governance for women sarpanches, and sees the need for a stronger advocacy lens to improve the lives of women. Shilpa is an active member of various peace and women networks and movements.

Rise Up Cohort: CIP India – 2018