For over ten years, Maja Daruwala has been the Executive Director of the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI). Ms Daruwala is a part of several charitable boards in India and abroad, including NAMATI, International Record Management Trust, Chair in Multiple Action Research Group (MARG) New Delhi, and Public Affairs Centre (PAC) Bangalore. She is also honoured as one of the 200 World’s most dynamic women as compiled by London based author and social campaigner Zerbanoo Gifford.

Born in India, Maja has lived and worked in England, Singapore and Sri Lanka. Back in India, she has practised for a short while in the Supreme Court but then left to work fulltime at the Ford Foundation as a programme officer for South Asia. Maja’s interests lie particularly in the area of systemic reforms. She has focused her energies on issues of accountability and participation, which she believes are essential underpinnings for good governance and the realisation of human rights.

Maja sits on several charitable boards, including the Open Society Justice Initiative, the International Women’s Health Coalition, both based in New York.