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Faiza Ruksar Arif is a passionate social science practitioner and changemaker deeply immersed in grassroots initiatives. With a master's degree in gender studies from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences and a postgraduate diploma in research from Azim Premji, her professional journey involves collaborating with organizations to design and implement impactful programs. Faiza is a FLMBARI South Asia 2024 fellow, a Women Lead India 2023 fellow, one of the seven global women changemakers in Bumble's Next Movers Program. Having previously consulted with UNDP Karnataka, she currently serves as the driving force behind Program Design, Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) at the One Billion Literates Foundation in Bangalore. Her work spans diverse communities, including underprivileged women, government primary school students, and tribal and waste picker communities. She is also designing 2 gender programs for urban slum children in Mumbai with the Oscar Foundation and the Vacha Trust

 

Beyond her role at OBLF, Faiza is actively involved in addressing LGBT+ community issues, with a specific focus on transgender concerns through corporate partnerships and research and advocacy. She researches transgender issues and has published work on transgender healthcare, motherhood and identity politics. Simultaneously, she is in the process of establishing her own 'gender lab,' named 'Embrace,' with a vision to normalize and mainstream gender conversations. Faiza views her commitment as extending beyond a conventional career trajectory, perceiving her role as a change-maker as a broader journey with a profound impact. She is consistently seeking fresh collaborations, partnerships, and experiences that foster continuous learning and unlearning.