Disha Arora
Founder
Disha Arora is an award-winning feminist documentary filmmaker and development communications specialist from India. Disha is committed to challenging social systems and ideologies which promote gender-based discrimination. She produces films that highlight the impact of social structures (religion and caste) on women’s rights and tell stories of women who are re-writing the social narratives to fully realise their human rights and build a just and peaceful world.
Driven by the passion for creating a stronger focus on women’s rights in India, Disha independently shot and directed India’s first national-level award-winning documentary to highlight the influence of religion on women’s rights – Women and Religion in India. It was a solo journey of 300 days, meeting 200 women and girls belonging to five major religions across 14 states. This ground-breaking film went on to receive awards at multiple international film festivals.
With an extensive career spanning over a decade in the Indian and international social development sector, Disha has been at the forefront of spearheading international campaigns and forging partnerships with international organisations such as The World Bank, the European Union, UNFPA, UN Women, Atlas Corps, IPPF, Open Society, and American Express. She brings expertise and experience to lead impactful campaigns, digital advocacy, and organizational communications strategies.
Throughout her professional journey, Disha has been deeply engaged in advocacy for various critical causes, ranging from climate change and gender equality to peacebuilding and education.
Disha is a recognised leader in international development and peacebuilding with numerous prestigious fellowships to her credit. As a Senior Fellow with the American India Foundation (2023-24), she mentored 21 early-career social impact professionals from India and the U.S., strengthening cross-cultural collaboration and leadership development. Her extensive recognition includes an Atlas Corps Fellowship (2017-18), an Emerging Leader Fellowship from the Presidential Precinct and University of Virginia (2017), and an Interfaith Fellowship for a European Union-funded peacebuilding project (2019-2020). She represented India at the 3rd ASEF Young Leaders Summit on Ethical Leadership (2018) and received two specialised fellowships from the Netherlands government for advanced training in communications and women’s rights advocacy.