Dr. Jahnvi Andharia has been working in the development sector for over 35 years at the intersections of addressing vulnerability, marginalization of rural women through strategies that are collective and empower grassroots leadership.                                                                                                                                        

Born in a small township off Mumbai to Gujarati parents -Father from Bhavnagar and Mother whose family had migrated to Mumbai from Khambhat. She completed her graduation from St. Xavier's College, Mumbai, a Master's from Tata Institute of Social Studies and PhD from M.S. University. For over two decades, she worked directly with women from poor and marginalized communities of rural areas of Gujarat and Maharashtra shaping her perspective on what feminism is, not just in theory but in practice as well. In 1995, Dr. Jahnvi and her 4 colleagues founded ANANDI, an organization that followed a collective leadership model, working among the poorest communities of Gujarat that works with women and their families through programs on women’s rights, maternal health, child rights and child nutrition, women and girl’s safety, livelihood promotion, and women’s leadership in local governance.                                                                     

Previously, she has worked with one of the Tata Trusts for three years,  held the position of  Program Director at the Indian School of Development Management for a little over two years. She has co-authored several papers available in the public domain.                            

She supports small and medium-sized women-led organizations to improve their governance practices and programs to align with goals of women’s equality.                                                                                       

Since 2021, she has been Director and Research Fellow at the Institute of Social Studies Trust -ISST - New Delhi - one of the first feminist think tanks set up in 1980.

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