International Women's Day by Dr. Aparajita Gogoi, WRAI - National Coordinator & Executive Director, Centre for Catalyzing Change

We are for EveryGirl. EveryWoman. EveryWhere.

Centre for Catalyzing Change (C3), formerly known as Centre for Development and Population Activities (CEDPA), India, started working in India in 1987. In the last 30 years, C3 has emerged as a key change-making organization focused on improving the condition of girls and women in the country.

At C3, we design solutions that mobilize, equip, educate and empower girls and women to meet their full potential. We strive to create an ecosystem where all girls and women can demand and get their due entitlements. Our work addresses the challenges that they face in our country at various stages in their lives.

At the core of our work and approach is the belief that gender equality is essential for development and democracy. Our programs are aimed at equipping girls and women with practical life skills, improved confidence in personal decision-making, and increased self-esteem.

Our work ensures that girls and women have access to quality reproductive and maternal health care. We are committed to equal participation of women in governance and leadership roles as a step towards building a stronger nation.

C3 is a non-governmental organization registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860. Currently, C3 works directly in 5 states of India –

Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Gujarat

Trusted partners of the Government of India

C3 works with government ministries and their departments, practitioners and think-tanks to build, incubate and develop policies and solutions that have positively impacted, and continue to impact, millions of girls and women in India. C3 is part of national and state advisory groups that have helped develop a number of policies and programs that benefitted girls and women – for example, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare’s guidelines for skilled attendance at birth (for auxiliary nurses/midwives), the National Quality of Care guidelines, India’s Reproductive Maternal Neoborn Child and Adolescent Health (RMNCH+A) strategy, the Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram (RKSK) guidelines, Lakshya guidelines for quality of care in labour rooms, and the National Council for Education Research and Training (NCERT) framework for adolescent education.

Profile

Dr Aparajita Gogoi is the Executive Director of the New Delhi-based think tank and action advocacy body, Centre for Catalyzing Change (C3). A passionate advocate and for health and rights of women and young girls, Dr. Gogoi works with networks and advocates all over the country to drive change by mobilizing action. Under her leadership, C3 has emerged as a key voice on a range of issues from empowering adolescent girls, to women’s reproductive health, and gender equity. Dr Gogoi believes that while issues and concerns around the wellbeing of girls and women are daunting, they can be addressed successfully with patience, perseverance and commitment. According to her, policies do exist for women in India – and the need of the hour is to focus on translating these policies into action on the ground, and most importantly, implement solutions at scale.

Dr Gogoi was named as one of the 100 most inspiring women in the world by The Guardian, UK.  She was also a winner of the Women: Inspiration and Enterprise’ Humanitarian Award. Dr Gogoi is the National Coordinator of the White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood/India, an alliance of over 5000 organizations which work for women’s right to survive childbirth. The very successful WhatWomenWant campaign of WRAI was conceived and implemented in India under her leadership and she guides the global WhatWomenWant campaign as the global co-chair.

She holds a doctoral degree in International Politics from Jawaharlal Nehru University.

Provided the awards etc.  List below—you can pick and choose

·        In 2010, the Nityanutan media group of Odisha awarded the ‘Nityanutan Sanman 2010’ to Dr. Gogoi.

·       Dr Gogoi was recognized as one of the 20 top women achievers in healthcare in India, The Modern Magazine, March 2009

Media houses such as Sakhi Jagran and Prabhat Khabar have listed her among the top inspirational women/achievers in the country.

 

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

 

·  Received the 'WE AWARD' in April 2014 in New Delhi for her role in furthering women’s empowerment. The 'WE AWARDS' are given by WCRC Leaders Asia, a monthly business and leadership magazine published by World Consulting & Research Corporation, which is a brand research, knowledge and consulting enterprise. These awards aim to promote the cause of women's empowerment by bringing to light contributions of women from various walks of life who have emerged as role models.  

·  On 8th March 2011, The Guardian, UK, marked International Women’s Day by selecting 100 of world’s most inspiring women – Dr. Gogoi was one of these 100 women.

·  In 2010, received the WIE Humanitarian Award at the ‘Women: Inspiration and Enterprise’ Symposium hosted in New York by Sarah Brown, Donna Karen and Arian Huffington. The award was given to "honor and celebrate a select group of fearless women who are a shining example of excellence to us all.

In 2010, the Nityanutan media group of Odisha awarded the ‘Nityanutan Sanman 2010’ to Dr. Gogoi.

·  Recognized as one of 20 top women achievers in healthcare in India, The Modern Magazine, March 2009

Many other agencies and media houses such as Sakhi Jagran and Prabhat Khabar have listed her among the top inspirational women/achievers in the country.