The Gender Action Portal's research translation work could not be done without the hard work of our team of technical writers, content editors, and interns.
Anisha Asundi
Director of Programs and Research, WAPPP
Harvard Kennedy School
anisha_asundi@hks.harvard.edu
Anisha Asundi (she/her/hers) is a racial and gender justice advocate and higher education professional who is passionate about advancing evidence-based diversity, equity, and inclusion. She is currently the director of research and programs at the Women and Public Policy Program (WAPPP) at Harvard Kennedy School where she leads WAPPP's research portfolio, including the Gender Action Portal, a collection of research evaluating the impact of specific policies, strategies, and organizational practices to advance gender equity. She also serves as a co-chair and consultant to the Culture Ambassadors program at HKS, which is a train-the-trainers program aiming to advance anti-racism and build a sense of belonging for HKS staff. Her research and practical work lie in the foundations of anti-oppression and social justice organizing - particularly in amplifying the voices and lived experiences of marginalized groups (such as women, people of color, LGBTQ communities, and working-class populations). She holds an MPH with a concentration in Health Disparities from Boston University and a BA from Skidmore College.
Safira Putri
Technical Writer
Harvard Kennedy School
Safira Putri is a first-year Master in Public Policy student at the Harvard Kennedy School. She is interested in the intersection of economic empowerment and gender equity, specifically in exploring ways to improve financing and savings access for women owning Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME). Prior to Harvard, she worked as a consultant at Boston Consulting Group in Jakarta and was part of the Minister’s team at the Ministry of State-Owned-Enterprises of Indonesia. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences from the University of Indonesia.
Promoting gender equity involves identifying and rectifying existing disparities between genders. Active participation in advancing gender equity means finding effective ways to eliminate these disparities. This is precisely why I find my work with GAP so impactful, as it enables me to share evidence-based interventions that have proven successful, allowing readers to emulate this success in their surroundings.
Sreela Srinivasan
Technical Writer
Harvard Kennedy School
Sreela Srinivasan is a Master of Public Policy candidate at the Harvard Kennedy School. She has previously worked with the UNICEF, state governments, and rural communities in India, to address gender-based challenges and promote women's empowerment. Prior to Harvard, she was part of the team preparing the gender, child, and nutrition budgets for the Government of Odisha. She is passionate about addressing gender inequality through inclusive governance, economic empowerment, and social innovation. She also works with tribal artisan clusters in eastern India to promote indigenous handicrafts and textiles.
Advancing gender equity starts with understanding the multifaceted challenges faced by people of various genders. Holistic solutions that address gender-based challenges should take a people-first approach and rely heavily on evidence. GAP helps enable this as it connects the world of research and evidence to the world of practice.
Laura Chang Tourtellotte
Content Editor
Harvard Humanitarian Initiative
Laura is the Program Manager for the Peace and Human Rights Data Program at the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative. Laura holds a doctorate in anthropology from Boston University, where she studied how reproductive politics shaped interventions into at-risk and in-crisis girls’ and women’s lives in Kazakhstan. Previously, she earned her MA at Harvard in Regional Studies: Russia, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia, and her BA in Global Studies: Russian and Post-Soviet Studies from William and Mary.
GAP serves as an essential intervention by presenting translational research in a digestible format to those who can enact change. I am committed prioritizing intersectional feminist approaches in providing solutions to current global inequities, and a key means of doing so is by democratizing knowledge and access to it.
Erin Shirtz
Content Editor
Harvard Business School
Erin is a doctoral student in the Organizational Behavior program at Harvard Business School. Her research broadly examines gender inequality at work with a focus on how technology transforms social identities and workplace relationships. Before joining the Harvard community, she conducted research on diversity, equity, and inclusion at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
With my background in organizational research, I am especially driven to improve gender equality at work. To close the gender gap, practitioners need to know which policies, strategies, and processes to institute. GAP plays a critical role, bridging the gap between evidence-based research and actionable solutions. Through GAP, I aim to make research accessible and approachable to support the practical changes needed to advance gender equity on the ground.
Katarina Sousa
GAP Intern
Simmons University
Katarina Sousa is a senior at Simmons University studying Political Science and Economics with a minor in Public Policy. She has conducted research on the subject of menstrual equity with feminist organizations like Mass NOW and is passionate about implementing and analyzing public policy solutions to end period poverty.
To me, advancing gender equity means creating a safer, more just world for people of all genders to thrive within. In tandem, truly advancing gender equity requires actively working against all intersecting systems of oppression such as racism, colonialism, ableism, etc., to intentionally increase equity for all.
Since GAP launched in 2014, many staff, writers, editors, and interns have worked on this important and impactful resource that translates research into action. GAP would not be in existence without the vision and tireless dedication of longtime GAP Manager Anisha Asundi. We also extend our special thanks to Lameya Ahmed, Jessica Angel, Sara Arman, Aimee Bell-Pasht, Abigail Bliss, Danielle Boudrow, Sophie Bravo, Sunaina Chatterjee, Siri Chilazi, Kerry Conley, Cici Coquillette, Mayumi Cornejo, Elizabeth Good, Shanelle Chambers Haile, Sarah Jacobs, Jackie Jahn, Joshua Jeong, Jessica Lieberman, Grace Liu, Heidi Liu, Inmaculada Macias-Alonso, Giovana Rodrigues Manfrin, MaryRose Mazzola, Lucy McSweeney, Leah Meadows, Danni Melton, Supriya Misra, Denisse de la Peña, Sahitya Raja, Snigdha Shahi, Merrit Stüven, Blair Uhlig, and Tina Wei.
Note: If you worked or interned for GAP and aren’t listed here, we apologize! Please let Anisha know and we will add you to the list.