Myna

The Journey That Sparked Myna Mahila

“I met Priya while conducting household surveys in Mumbai’s slums. One afternoon, I found her in visible pain. After much hesitation, she confided that she had been suffering from a vaginal infection for months. The clinic was minutes away, but she was too ashamed to seek help. “How can I discuss such private matters? What would people say?” she whispered.

A few streets away, I met another woman with three daughters. She had ensured they completed school but refused to let them take jobs. “Women in our community don’t work outside the home”, she said. “It’s not respectable”. Her eldest daughter was married at 17. Months later, she died from cervical cancer—untreated. The stigma was worse than the disease.

Again and again, I saw how dignity—misplaced, silent, and self-sacrificing—kept women from seeking care, asking for jobs, or asserting themselves. They were expected to endure, not to demand. 

That’s why I founded Myna Mahila in 2015: to break that silence. Women called me Tota Myna because I asked too many questions, but I realized speaking up was a privilege many didn’t have. Like the chatty Myna bird, we ensure women find their voice to claim their future.”

-Dr. Suhani Jalota, Founder

OUR MISSION

Our mission is to harness the power of research, AI, and grassroots expertise to drive women’s agency through the three pillars of health-seeking behavior, digital literacy, and economic empowerment.

OUR VISION

We envision a world where at least 25 percent, around 100 million, of women previously excluded from healthcare, paid work, or digital access can now make decisions about their bodies, jobs, and futures—driving social and economic transformation.

Meet Team Myna

Senior Leadership

Dr. Suhani Jalota

Dr. Suhani Jalota

Founder and
Board of Directors

Sweta Kanavaje

Sweta Kanavaje

Director
Shraddha Kale Kapile

Shraddha Kale Kapile

Associate Director- Health
Vaishnavi Adhav

Vaishnavi Adhav

Finance Lead
Aayushi Darshana

Aayushi Darshana

HR Head
Archana Phalke

Archana Phalke

Sales and Logistics Lead
Tanvi Divate

Tanvi Divate

Co- Founder Rani

FULL TEAM

Shalini Gupta

Fellow (TMI College)

Noorjahan Shaikh

Pad Woman


Dr. Barira Chaudhary

Consultant Doctor – Part Time


Sunita Bhawar

Field Coordinator


Shahnaz Shaikh

Field Surveyor

Reshma Dange

Center Coordinator

Roshani Rupavate

Pad Woman

Uzma Shaikh

Health Educator (Myna Clinic)

Board of Directors and Advisors

Dr. Suhani Jalota

Dr. Suhani Jalota

Founder and Board of Directors
Rajeev Kumar

Rajeev Kumar

Director
Arun Nanda

Arun Nanda

Advisor
Nicola Brentnall

Nicola Brentnall

Advisor
Late Dr. Jockin Arputham

Late Dr. Jockin Arputham

Advisor
Howie Rhee

Howie Rhee

Advisor
Matt Nash

Matt Nash

Advisor
Dr. David Boyd

Dr. David Boyd

Advisor
Dr. Anita-Patil Deshmukh

Dr. Anita-Patil Deshmukh

Advisor
Aman Agarwaal

Aman Agarwaal

Advisor
Roopali Jalota

Roopali Jalota

Advisor
Melissa Bernstein

Melissa Bernstein

Advisor

DRIVING Change Together

We work with incredible partners and donors who make our mission possible. We deeply appreciate their invaluable support in driving our efforts forward.