Meet our Speakers

Annie Namala is a prominent Indian social activist and policy advocate known for her pioneering work in promoting Dalit rights, inclusive education, and social equity. With a postgraduate degree in Social Work, she has spent decades bridging grassroots activism with national policy reform. She is the founding director of the Centre for Social Equity and Inclusion (CSEI), where she empowers Dalit, Adivasi, and Muslim youth to lead change in their communities. Annie served on India’s National Advisory Council, contributing to the implementation of the Right to Education Act with a focus on equity and non-discrimination. From 2019-23, she served as the National Convener of Wada Na Todo Abhiyan (WNTA), a civil society coalition that monitors government accountability on social justice and the Sustainable Development Goals. She is part of the Expert Group of the UN Collaborative on Citizen Data, promoting the production and use of citizen data to fill critical data gaps for marginalised communities to make their voices heard and counted in policy and provisions. She developed the 100 Hotspots: Socially excluded communities and SDGs in India to highlight the challenges of marginalised communities in achieving the SDGs. Her work is characterized by a profound commitment to amplifying marginalized voices and creating participatory platforms that challenge systemic exclusion.