The Founder

Dr. Josephine Joseph – Development Practitioner and Gender Specialist

 

Dr. Josephine Joseph is a committed development practitioner with nearly 40 years of experience in the social sector, dedicated to advancing inclusive growth, gender justice, and social equity. Her journey spans grassroots mobilization to international collaborations, reflecting a lifelong resolve to build a just and equitable society.

 

She has held leadership and programmatic roles across diverse organizations, designing and implementing projects addressing the complex intersections of poverty, gender, and social exclusion. Her core focus areas include women’s empowerment, child welfare, gender-sensitive policy development, and rights-based programming, always ensuring that equity and dignity translate into lived realities for marginalized communities.

 

Dr. Josephine combines practical field expertise, academic contributions, and strong advocacy skills. She developed the M.A. Gender Studies curriculum for IGNOU and contributed to UGC-recognized modules, shaping future practitioners in gender studies. As a social work educator, she has mentored numerous students, bridging theory and practice effectively.

 

She is the Founder and Director of the Centre for Women and Children Solidarity Network (CWCSN), an NGO promoting women’s economic empowerment and rights. One notable initiative trained and placed 50 women as cab drivers, breaking stereotypes and creating livelihood opportunities in male-dominated sectors.

 

Her contributions extend to media-based advocacy, including her role in a documentary on Violence Against Women (2014) to amplify survivors’ voices and push for systemic change, editing the women’s magazine PENSAKTHI from 2010 to 2013. She continues to consult, teach, design curricula, build capacities, and engage in policy advocacy to challenge structural inequalities, particularly those affecting women, children, and vulnerable groups.

 

Her areas of expertise include gender and development, women’s empowerment and livelihood promotion, curriculum design and training, and social work education. She is also skilled in NGO capacity building, policy advocacy and rights-based programming, interventions addressing violence against women (VAW), and community mobilization.

Vision

 

Dr. Josephine envisions a world where gender equity is institutionalized and development remains inclusive, participatory, and people-centered. She welcomes opportunities for collaboration, consulting, and knowledge sharing to drive transformative change and dismantle barriers to social justice.