Board Members

“Feminism is like breathing.”
Nimisha is the heart, mind and soul behind Olakh. Since 1993 she is the executive director, providing
her expertise on a daily basis. She has years of working experience at the grass root level with urban,
rural and tribal communities, with a special focus on Gender Equality and women empowerment. Furthermore
she has translated various books and articles on gender, patriarchy, feminism, masculinity etc. into
Gujarati.

She is committed to feminism and intersectional gender equality in her professional and personal life.
She has been conducting trainings and workshops on gender, gender mainstreaming, violence against women,
empowerment, personal safety and related issues locally as well as globally.

Founding Member

Abha is based in Siddhbadi near Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh. She is associated with JAGORI GRAMEEN, a
feminist organization. She has extensive experience in trainings and campaigns. She is a pioneer of the
women’s movement in India. At present Abha conducts trainings at national as well as international level
on issues like sexuality, gender and patriarchy.

“Olakh means continuity – taking the feminist movement forward. It is a great representative of the
second wave of feminism in India and as such it fulfills many state-based needs. I think the
organization is fascinating; it focuses on simplicity and through sheer commitment, great work is
accomplished.”

Joining Date: October 1996

Prof. Vibhuti Patel is Ph.D. in Economics, University of Mumbai. She was awarded Visiting Fellowship to
the London School of Economics and Political Science from Association of Commonwealth Universities. She
has been working for the feminist cause and has an avid interest in disaster management.

She came across the Olakh team in the aftermath of the Kutch earthquake (2001) and the Gujarati communal
riots (2002). Since then she has helped with the process of documenting and evaluating the first ten
years of Olakh.

“Olakh as a feminist organisation has made a crucial contribution in the women’s world. Especially
Olakh’s field work demonstrates the organisation’s effectiveness. I am truly touched by Olakh’s team
spirit and vibrant atmosphere.”

Joining Date: May 2005

Parul is one of Olakh’s founding mothers. She is a lawyer, a graduate from Bombay University and at
present the managing director of Shaishav (meaning childhood), a Bhavnagar based NGO for underprivileged
children.

She has been associated with the field of development for the last fifteen years and has extensive
experience with women and children in the Urban Slums.

“Olakh keeps my interest in women’s issues alive – it keeps me alive. It is wonderful to be surrounded
by friends, in a space where people understand one another at a very deep level.”

Founding Member

After three decades of practising as a general surgeon, Ami has recently phased out her personal
practice and shut down her hospital in order to actively engage with and dedicate herself to women’s
empowerment.

For the last 20 years, she has also been volunteering on a weekly basis as a surgeon for Sewa Rural
(Jhagadia), a voluntary development organization involved in health and rural development activities in
South Gujarat.

Joining Date: August 2010