At Myna Mahila, we harness AI and research
to develop scalable, data-backed solutions for
women's health and economic independence.
We study areas including:
Digital Health
Impact
Evaluating how digital tools enhance women’s health.
Tech Adoption
Barriers
Addressing challenges in adopting
new technologies.
Microtasking
as Employment
Understanding how task-based
work creates productive livelihoods
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AI INNOVATIONS
-
AI-powered chatbot on
WhatsApp: Myna BoloMyna Bolo, our groundbreaking AI chatbot, provides women with localized, quick, reliable access to health information, educational resources, and guidance on reproductive health conditions.Built with community-driven insights and rigorous testing, Myna Bolo operates via WhatsApp, allowing intuitive interaction through text, gifs, and voice inputs.Why Myna Bolo Matters:- Accessibility: Designed for local languages, literacy levels, and cultural relevance.
- Data Privacy: Ensures confidential access to health information.
- Medical Accuracy: Delivering verified, evidence-based advice.
Myna Bolo is trained with 170,734 real questions on sexual and reproductive health from women in the communityKey Partner: Gates Foundation
FEATURED
AI-assisted Health
Workers: AIHWMyna Mahila is expanding its proven training model to equip 1,500 RANI workers with AI-assisted capabilities, enhancing women’s access to reliable, community-driven healthcare guidance.Built with generative AI and a medical feedback loop, AIHW empowers frontline health workers to dispel misconceptions, provide accurate health information, and improve healthcare access in underserved communities.How AIHW Works:- Scalable Training: Integrates AI-powered learning into Myna Mahila’s health worker network.
- Medical Oversight: Uses doctor-reviewed AI responses to ensure credibility and combat misinformation
- Localized Guidance: Empowers community health workers with AI-driven tools, for accessible, actionable information.
Key Partner: Data.org
FEATURED
Future of Work for Women: Rani Upskilling and Work
Myna Mahila’s Rani Work model tackles systemic barriers—household responsibilities, mobility restrictions, and lack of flexible work—by leveraging AI and hyper-local solutions to create sustainable employment opportunities for women.
Our three-step approach blends technology with community-driven solutions, ensuring women can upskill, earn, and access career support:- LEARN: Digital literacy and AI training to equip women with in-demand skills..
- EARN: Home-based, AI-assisted tasks through the Rani app, enabling women to participate in data annotation, AI training, and digital work.
- CONNECT: Access to job counseling, peer networks, and professional development for long-term career mobility.
Progress:- 1,300+ women onboarded, earning INR 5,000–15,500 per month.
- 60 percent increase in household earnings, strengthening financial resilience.
- 30 percent transition into specialized roles, supported by tailored training, including AI-Assisted Job Counselor positions.
Women can choose to work from home or from child-friendly Rani Centers in Mumbai, located within a five-minute walk from their homes, ensuring safe, flexible, and accessible work opportunities.Ethical Approach with Rigorous Results
At Myna Mahila, ethics are at the core of our research and innovation.- Privacy First – We protect community data with strict security, anonymization, and responsible use.
- Fair Compensation – Women’s insights matter. We pay for their time and expertise, valuing them as active contributors.
- Informed Consent – Transparency at every step. No data is collected or used without clear, voluntary agreement.
- Informed Consent – Transparency at every step. No data is collected or used without clear, voluntary agreement.
- Bias-Aware AI – We design inclusive, community-driven models that reflect real experiences, not just numbers.
- Impact with Integrity – Our solutions are ethical, equitable, and built for lasting change.
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RESEARCH
-
Our research blends global expertise with a bottom-up, ethical approach that prioritizes the voices of the women we serve. We partner with institutions like Stanford University, MIT, Duke, and Emory, alongside funders such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and The Agency Fund, to deliver research that is both world-class and community-centered.
RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS (RCTs)
Through ongoing RCTs, we’re exploring pathways to employment, emphasizing skill-building, flexible work opportunities, and community health support systems.A key study, the Rani RCT, a 4 year project, which involved 4,000 women, revealed:
We have other ongoing research on the field.PUBLISHED FINDINGS
At Myna Mahila, we believe in evidence-based impact, and our work is backed by rigorous research, evaluations, and expert analysis. Below, you’ll find our working papers, peer-reviewed publications, and reports that contribute to the global conversation on women’s healthcare, economic empowerment, and digital inclusion.
Current Research:
Working Papers
Ongoing research and early findings shaping our programs- What Works for Her?: How Remote Jobs from Home and Local Offices Affect Female Labor Force Participation in Urban India (with Lisa Ho) – Evaluating the impact of AI-assisted workforce models on women’s employment and agency.
- Women’s loss in urban slums: impact of covid-19 on livelihoods, health attitudes and behaviour(Sakshi Shah, Suhani Jalota) – Women’s loss in urban slums: impact of COVID-19 on livelihoods, health attitudes and behaviour
Publications
Peer-reviewed studies contributing to academic and policy discussions- “Kya family planning after marriage hoti hai?” ( Roshini Deva, Dhruv Ramani, Tanvi Divate, Suhani Jalota, Azra Ismail) – Exploring digital interventions for improving women’s health-seeking behaviors.
Reports & Commentaries
Insights from our fieldwork and collaborations with industry leaders- Report on Women in the Workforce: Insights from Private Companies in India(Suhani Jalota, Katherine Xu and Tanvi Divate – Key insights on integrating women into the workforce and the role of private sector engagement.
- Women’s Agency in Mumbai Slums: Mitigating Biases (Priya Vishwanath) – Exploring we can develop an agency tool with metrics that effectively capture the influence of labor market decisions on women’s agency.
- Dignity and Agency: Empowering Women in Urban Slums Through Meaningful Work (Priya Vishwanath) – Reflecting on how dignity of women is fundamentally tied to their agency.
Ethical Approach with Rigorous Results
At Myna Mahila, ethics are at the core of our research and innovation.- Privacy First – We protect community data with strict security, anonymization, and responsible use.
- Fair Compensation – Women’s insights matter. We pay for their time and expertise, valuing them as active contributors.
- Informed Consent – Transparency at every step. No data is collected or used without clear, voluntary agreement.
- Informed Consent – Transparency at every step. No data is collected or used without clear, voluntary agreement.
- Bias-Aware AI – We design inclusive, community-driven models that reflect real experiences, not just numbers.
- Impact with Integrity – Our solutions are ethical, equitable, and built for lasting change.
Affiliated Researchers
We work closely with faculty and researchers who are interested in studying women’s agency related questions related to health, mobility, employment, and digital literacy.
Dr. Suhani Jalota
Hoover Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University
Dr. Jasmin Moshfegh
Assistant Professor of Economics, Imperial College London
Dr. Azra Ismail
Assistant Professor in Biomedical Informatics and Global Health, Emory University
Dr. Lisa Ho
Assistant Professor of Economics, Columbia University
Dr. Devansh Jalota
Assistant Professor, Industrial & Systems Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology
AI-powered chatbot on
WhatsApp: Myna Bolo
Myna Bolo, our groundbreaking AI chatbot, provides women with localized, quick, reliable access to health information, educational resources, and guidance on reproductive health conditions.
Built with community-driven insights and rigorous testing, Myna Bolo operates via WhatsApp, allowing intuitive interaction through text, gifs, and voice inputs.
Why Myna Bolo Matters:
- Accessibility: Designed for local languages, literacy levels, and cultural relevance.
- Data Privacy: Ensures confidential access to health information.
- Medical Accuracy: Delivering verified, evidence-based advice.
Myna Bolo is trained with 170,734 real questions on sexual and reproductive health from women in the community
Key Partner: Gates Foundation
FEATURED
AI-assisted Health
Workers: AIHW
Myna Mahila is expanding its proven training model to equip 1,500 RANI workers with AI-assisted capabilities, enhancing women’s access to reliable, community-driven healthcare guidance.
Built with generative AI and a medical feedback loop, AIHW empowers frontline health workers to dispel misconceptions, provide accurate health information, and improve healthcare access in underserved communities.
How AIHW Works:
- Scalable Training: Integrates AI-powered learning into Myna Mahila’s health worker network.
- Medical Oversight: Uses doctor-reviewed AI responses to ensure credibility and combat misinformation
- Localized Guidance: Empowers community health workers with AI-driven tools, for accessible, actionable information.
Key Partner: Data.org
FEATURED
Future of Work for Women: Rani Upskilling and Work
Myna Mahila’s Rani Work model tackles systemic barriers—household responsibilities, mobility restrictions, and lack of flexible work—by leveraging AI and hyper-local solutions to create sustainable employment opportunities for women.
Our three-step approach blends technology with community-driven solutions, ensuring women can upskill, earn, and access career support:
- LEARN: Digital literacy and AI training to equip women with in-demand skills..
- EARN: Home-based, AI-assisted tasks through the Rani app, enabling women to participate in data annotation, AI training, and digital work.
- CONNECT: Access to job counseling, peer networks, and professional development for long-term career mobility.
Progress:
- 1,300+ women onboarded, earning INR 5,000–15,500 per month.
- 60 percent increase in household earnings, strengthening financial resilience.
- 30 percent transition into specialized roles, supported by tailored training, including AI-Assisted Job Counselor positions.
Women can choose to work from home or from child-friendly Rani Centers in Mumbai, located within a five-minute walk from their homes, ensuring safe, flexible, and accessible work opportunities.
Ethical Approach with Rigorous Results
At Myna Mahila, ethics are at the core of our research
and innovation.
- Privacy First – We protect community data with strict security, anonymization, and responsible use.
- Fair Compensation – Women’s insights matter. We pay for their time and expertise, valuing them as active contributors.
- Informed Consent – Transparency at every step. No data is collected or used without clear, voluntary agreement.
- Informed Consent – Transparency at every step. No data is collected or used without clear, voluntary agreement.
- Bias-Aware AI – We design inclusive, community-driven models that reflect real experiences, not just numbers.
- Impact with Integrity – Our solutions are ethical, equitable, and built for lasting change.
Our research blends global expertise with a bottom-up, ethical approach that prioritizes the voices of the women we serve. We partner with institutions like Stanford University, MIT, Duke, and Emory, alongside funders such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and The Agency Fund, to deliver research that is both world-class and community-centered.
RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS (RCTs)
Through ongoing RCTs, we’re exploring pathways to employment, emphasizing skill-building, flexible work opportunities, and community health support systems.
A key study, the Rani RCT, a 4 year project, which involved 4,000 women, revealed:
We have other ongoing research on the field.
PUBLISHED FINDINGS
At Myna Mahila, we believe in evidence-based impact, and our work is backed by rigorous research, evaluations, and expert analysis. Below, you’ll find our working papers, peer-reviewed publications, and reports that contribute to the global conversation on women’s healthcare, economic empowerment, and digital inclusion.
Current Research:
Working Papers
Ongoing research and early findings shaping our programs
- What Works for Her?: How Remote Jobs from Home and Local Offices Affect Female Labor Force Participation in Urban India (with Lisa Ho) – Evaluating the impact of AI-assisted workforce models on women’s employment and agency.
- Women’s loss in urban slums: impact of covid-19 on livelihoods, health attitudes and behaviour(Sakshi Shah, Suhani Jalota) – Women’s loss in urban slums: impact of COVID-19 on livelihoods, health attitudes and behaviour
Publications
Peer-reviewed studies contributing to academic and policy discussions
- “Kya family planning after marriage hoti hai?” ( Roshini Deva, Dhruv Ramani, Tanvi Divate, Suhani Jalota, Azra Ismail) – Exploring digital interventions for improving women’s health-seeking behaviors.
Reports & Commentaries
Insights from our fieldwork and collaborations with industry leaders
- Report on Women in the Workforce: Insights from Private Companies in India(Suhani Jalota, Katherine Xu and Tanvi Divate – Key insights on integrating women into the workforce and the role of private sector engagement.
- Women’s Agency in Mumbai Slums: Mitigating Biases (Priya Vishwanath) – Exploring we can develop an agency tool with metrics that effectively capture the influence of labor market decisions on women’s agency.
- Dignity and Agency: Empowering Women in Urban Slums Through Meaningful Work (Priya Vishwanath) – Reflecting on how dignity of women is fundamentally tied to their agency.
Ethical Approach with Rigorous Results
At Myna Mahila, ethics are at the core of our research and innovation.
- Privacy First – We protect community data with strict security, anonymization, and responsible use.
- Fair Compensation – Women’s insights matter. We pay for their time and expertise, valuing them as active contributors.
- Informed Consent – Transparency at every step. No data is collected or used without clear, voluntary agreement.
- Informed Consent – Transparency at every step. No data is collected or used without clear, voluntary agreement.
- Bias-Aware AI – We design inclusive, community-driven models that reflect real experiences, not just numbers.
- Impact with Integrity – Our solutions are ethical, equitable, and built for lasting change.
Affiliated Researchers
We work closely with faculty and researchers who are interested in studying women’s agency related questions related to health, mobility, employment, and digital literacy.
Dr. Suhani Jalota
Hoover Fellow,
Hoover Institution,
Stanford University
Dr. Jasmin Moshfegh
Assistant Professor of Economics,
Imperial College London
Dr. Azra Ismail
Assistant Professor in Biomedical Informatics and Global Health,
Emory University
Dr. Lisa Ho
Assistant Professor
of Economics,
Columbia University
Dr. Devansh Jalota
Assistant Professor, Industrial & Systems Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology
Ethical Approach with Rigorous Results
At Myna Mahila, ethics are at the core of our research
and innovation.
- Privacy First – We protect community data with strict security, anonymization, and responsible use.
- Fair Compensation – Women’s insights matter. We pay for their time and expertise, valuing them as active contributors.
- Informed Consent – Transparency at every step. No data is collected or used without clear, voluntary agreement.
- Informed Consent – Transparency at every step. No data is collected or used without clear, voluntary agreement.
- Bias-Aware AI – We design inclusive, community-driven models that reflect real experiences, not just numbers.
- Impact with Integrity – Our solutions are ethical, equitable, and built for lasting change.
Affiliated Researchers
Dr. Suhani Jalota
Hoover Fellow,
Hoover Institution,
Stanford University
Dr. Jasmin Moshfegh
Assistant Professor
of Economics,
Imperial College London
Dr. Azra Ismail
Assistant Professor in Biomedical Informatics and Global Health,
Emory University
Dr. Lisa Ho
Assistant Professor
of Economics,
Columbia University
Dr. Devansh Jalota
Assistant Professor,
Industrial & Systems Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology
By embedding ethical considerations into every aspect of our work, we ensure that our solutions are not only effective but also just, equitable, and community-driven.
What We’ve Accomplished
Join the movement to improve healthcare, economic opportunities, and digital access for 100 million more women
Local & Global Recognition
February 22, 2024
Ted Talk
In this powerful TED Talk,
Suhani Jalota shares her personal journey and the impact of…
August 7, 2019
Why this Indian foundation is on...
In this Vogue article, Myna
Mahila is highlighted for its…
November 17, 2020
Cisco Youth Leadership Award...
Suhani Jalota, founder of Myna Mahila Foundation, was…
November 17, 2020
How AI health care chatbots learn from...
This ABP news feature talks about Myna Mahila’s AI-driven…
Our Partners
