Utpala Chakma was born in Arunachal Pradesh in a Chakma community in northeast part of India bordering Mayanmar and China. Chakma is lingual and religious minority in the country. She currently works for the DHRD Network in Pune, where she works on strengthening human rights defenders from marginalized communities in India.  Prior to this, she has held roles with a focus on women’s empowerment and youth and community development with a variety of CSOs. Utpala studied social work as a specialization on Dalit and Tribal Studies at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences in Mumbai.  She is looking forward to being a social activist and making a difference in the lives of people from marginalised sections of society, especially women.

Participant in: December 2019 Fellowship: Peacebuilding and Women’s Meaningful Participation in Peacebuilding Processes