Violence Against Women

Ann Warner is senior gender and youth specialist at the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW). In this role, Warner works on a range of projects related to the health and human rights of women and girls.

Warner brings more than 10 years of experience in research and program development in international health and policy issues. Prior to her current position, she served as the special assistant to ICRW’s president, where she directed a research and advocacy project on the social drivers of HIV and AIDS. Before joining the organization in 2008, Warner led a research project for Columbia University and the International Rescue Committee that documented the prevalence of violence against women and girls in two Liberian counties. Warner also worked as the director of development at CARE, where she managed the organization’s relationships with professional foundations and consulted on a post-tsunami development program for CARE Sri Lanka.

Warner won the Global Health Council’s “New Investigator in Global Health” award in 2008 for her work in gender-based violence in Liberia.

Rajendra Singh is a technical specialist at the International Center for Research on Women’s (ICRW) Mumbai Project Office. In this capacity, he oversees all ICRW projects initiated through the organization’s Mumbai project office.

Singh has more than 13 years of experience working as a research officer. Prior to joining ICRW, he was a research manager at the market and social research organization, Gfk-MODE, an associate project coordinator and senior research officer at the International Institute for Population Sciences, and a research officer for independently organized workshops. In these positions, Singh worked on projects focused on reducing HIV risk and conducted research on patterns of sexual behavior. He has co-authored numerous published papers and has presented his research at national and international conferences on HIV and AIDS, reproductive health, masculinity, gender-based violence and capacity building. Singh also has conducted independent research studies for several institutions.

Sophie Namy is a gender and development specialist at the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW). In this role, Namy helps international development organizations evaluate programs through a gender lens and conducts empirical research related to violence against women, engaging men and boys and women’s property rights.

Namy brings more than six years of experience in development research, with a particular focus on evaluating community-based interventions, training and capacity building. Prior to joining ICRW, Namy served as an American India Foundation Clinton Fellow with the Kumaon Agriculture & Greenery Advancement Society. Her work focused on designing and conducting research related to HIV, sex work and women’s economic empowerment in rural India. Namy also consulted for USAID and Futures Group International on a qualitative evaluation of a maternal health intervention designed to improve women's knowledge and their access to services at the village level.

Jennifer McCleary-Sills is a senior social and behavioral scientist at the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW). In this role, McCleary-Sills uses theory to design and evaluate health programs that serve women, adolescents, and populations in post-conflict regions.

McCleary-Sills brings more than a decade of experience in public health practice and international development, with particular expertise in designing and implementing programs related to sexual and reproductive health, gender-based violence, and HIV/AIDS. Prior to joining ICRW in 2009, McCleary-Sills worked at the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs providing research and evaluation support to field offices for national communication programs. McCleary-Sills also worked with the grants and acquisition department at World Vision and served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Jordan.

McCleary-Sills has worked in more than a dozen countries throughout Latin America, the Middle East and Africa.

Anjala Kanesathasan is a senior public health specialist at the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW). In this role, Kanesathasan provides technical and management direction for a range of projects related to health, gender, adolescents and women’s empowerment.  

Kanesathasan brings more than 15 years of experience developing, managing and evaluating health and development projects. She has led multiple efforts at ICRW, including assessing options for increasing women’s agricultural engagement in West Africa and evaluating a program to decrease violence among young men in the Balkans. Prior to joining ICRW in 2007, Kanesathasan directed the behavior change communications component of a large reproductive and child health program in Kenya with PATH. Kanesathasan also has directed communications programs for a social marketing project to promote family planning and prevention of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections in Uganda.  

In addition to her 10 years based in East Africa, Kanesathasan’s field experience includes southern Africa, South and Central Asia, Eastern Europe and the Caribbean.

Madhumita Das is a senior technical specialist at the International Center for Research on Women’s (ICRW) Asia Regional Office. In this capacity, she manages and provides technical support for several projects. Her responsibilities include conceptual and instrument design, program design, training and capacity building, data management and analysis, monitoring and evaluation, dissemination of project results and liaising with donors.

Das has more than 10 years of academic research experience. Prior to joining ICRW, Das was as a senior program specialist at Constella Futures, where she worked on program management, operations research and communications for a project to provide reproductive and child health services in India. Das also worked at the Population Council and as a consultant for Johns Hopkins University.

Nandita Bhatla is a senior technical specialist at the International Center for Research on Women’s (ICRW) Asia Regional Office. In this role, she directs and contributes to projects that strive to reduce violence against women and promote gender equity, all of which incorporate a focus on involving men and boys towards that end. Bhatla's work has included evaluating the effectiveness of India’s groundbreaking national anti-domestic violence legislation and analyzing the links between violence and other development concerns, such as HIV and women’s property rights.

Prior to joining ICRW in 2000, Bhatla was a consultant for Sama, a women-focused health resource group. She also worked as a project coordinator and trainer at Nirantar, a nongovernmental organization that addresses gender, education and health. In these positions, Bhatla researched, designed and implemented programs specializing in issues of gender, empowerment and social change. Her experience also includes developing and disseminating communication materials and curricula, and conducting participatory trainings in her areas of expertise.