Shadhika

Dipta Bhog has worked on gender and education for close to three decades. She has worked as a journalist and women’s rights activist.

She co-founded Nirantar, a centre for gender and education in Delhi, and has extensive experience working on women’s literacy, adult and girls education and rural journalism in areas of program design, implementation, policy, and impact.

Japleen Pasricha is the founder-director and editor-in-chief of Feminism in India, an award-winning digital feminist media platform.

She has been felicitated by the Indian Ministry of Women & Child Development, as Web Wonder Woman.

Manjula Pradeep brings experience and perspective on community work and advocacy within the Dalit community and other underrepresented populations.

Her knowledge base will be a fresh and new asset for Shadhika from a programming and networking standpoint.

Priya Chotalal currently works in the health care sector as a dietician. She is looking forward to working with the members and sharing opinions to help make better decisions and to using her voice to help other girls and build a community that encourages girls to become self-dependent.

“I believe I have seen the girl’s difficulties very closely and almost faced similar difficulties even succeed to overcome with those problems and might be these all experience will help us to make a better decision,” Priya says.

Razia is currently an intern under Shadhika’s Girls Write Program.

Razia is looking forward to helping make plans, with the fundraising efforts, and to help achieve our equality goal. She is also looking to grow under the guidance and care of this experience and also become a good leader.

Ritambhara Mehta is an accomplished queer feminist professional with over a decade of experience in gender, sexuality, and education.

She is the co-founder of Nazariya: A Queer Feminist Resource Group. She is presently serving on the board of Nazairya with a deep interest in building linkages between health, violence, livelihoods, education, and queer issues through trainings, research, evaluation and advocacy.

Saba Rehmani, from Milaan Foundation is a new advisory council member. She is also a Shadhika Scholar graduate and a climate change intern. Saba is currently preparing for government exams and jobs.

Being associated with many NGOs, Saba’s contribution to the Advisory Council will be through her experience, her work, ideas, and thoughts.Saba also hopes to learn new things through this advisory group and get a chance to share her thoughts.

Shipra Jha is currently Head of Asia Engagement at Girls Not Brides.

Her contributions to the Council would be on an institutional level. Her membership will allow Shadhika access to the depth of the Girls Not Brides’ experience, as well as their external network.

Sagar Gangurde’s background in education and professional career, prior to and post his pivot to work in the non-profit sector, speaks to the quality of engagement in programming that he brings to the Council.

Additionally, his current organization Seeds for Peace and its global network will help explore and create new opportunities for Shadhika.