Independent (Jushya Kumar)

My mission is to amplify feminist and community-led voices in policy, planning, and development by creating inclusive, evidence-based, and participatory pathways for change. This contributes to my vision of a world where feminist values shape public systems and development practice, enabling dignity, justice, and self-determination for all, especially those at the margins. My work: I am a gender and development professional with over six years of experience in inclusive program design, feminist action research, policy analysis, and multi-stakeholder engagement. My work spans rural and urban contexts, and bridges grassroots insights with institutional strategy, focusing on gender equity, community leadership, and systems change. As an Independent Consultant since August 2024, I have partnered with South Asia Women Foundation India (SAWF IN) and PRADAN to produce feminist knowledge products, develop resource mobilization tools for women’s and trans* rights, and strengthen training curricula and documentation for local governance and gender-responsive planning. Previously, at Jagori (2019–2024), I managed and led national and international projects in collaboration with UN Women, Global Fund for Women, IWRAW-AP, and state-level partners. I directed feminist action research using mixed methods, co-created theories of change and M&E frameworks, convened nation-level multi-stakeholder meetings, produced knowledge content across multiple formats, and facilitated high-level engagements with government bodies, civil society, and donors. I have cultivated long-standing relationships with government departments, CSO networks and INGOs and have contributed to formal submissions to the UN and state national commissions. My work has contributed directly to advancing SDGs 1 (No Poverty), 3 (Good Health and Well-being), 5 (Gender Equality), 8 (Decent Work), 10 (Reduced Inequality), and 17 (Partnerships for the Goals)—through initiatives focused on gender-based violence, informal women workers, local governance, social protection, and participatory development planning. Earlier, at GenPol, I contributed to policy research on digital gender-based violence and developed outreach strategies connecting feminist actors across Asia and Africa. At the Centre for Digital Financial Inclusion, I worked on digital inclusion and welfare delivery for rural women. I bring expertise in translating lived realities into actionable policy, aligning community-led initiatives with development goals, and producing accessible, bilingual content for a range of audiences. I thrive in roles that demand systems thinking, strategic writing, and collaborative program building across sectors. Selected publications include reports on girls’ access to sanitation and education, occupational health of domestic workers, SGBV budgeting and planning, safety of informal women workers, and chapters in civil society policy reviews. I have also authored contributions for GenPol, CBGA, and UN Women.