The Organisation

Women’s Leadership Training Centre is a feminist organization based in Assam, working towards gender and social equality. WLTC focuses on enhancing women’s capacities and creating space and opportunity for women (cis and trans) to take decision making and leadership positions within families, communities, in governance and politics.

WLTC was founded in 2015 by a group of grassroots feminist women leaders from different parts of Assam. Since then WLTC has been addressing issues of gender equality and women’s rights like violence against women, customary law and women, women’s participation in governance and politics and women’s access to land and natural resources etc.

Our primary partner communities are women from marginalised groups such as:

-rural, indigenous, urban poor women

-migrant women

- women workers

- tea gardens, LBTA++ and women with disabilities.

- We work primarily in Assam through direct community intervention work and with other states of the North-East through our leadership building programmes. We are working in the districts of Kamrup, Barpeta, Kokrajhar, Karbianlong, Dima Hasao, Sonitpur, Jorhat and Lakhimpur in Assam.

Vision & Mission

Our Vision:

WLTC’s vision is to create a gender equal society where women have equal participation and decision making power in all spheres of society including family, community, governance and politics.

Our Mission:

WLTC’s mission is to provide women with feminist understanding, analysis and tools to lead collective actions towards their own vision of an equal society.

TRUSTEES

The Trustees:

WLTC was founded by a group of 5 grassroots women’s rights activists from Assam. At present WLTC has 5 trustees. Its trustees include women’s rights activists, grassroots women’s leaders, lawyers, academicians etc.

The present Trustees of WLTC and the governing board members are:

1.BANAMALLIKA CHAUDHURY- SECRETARY

Banamallika is a Women’s Rights Activist and Development Consultant. She is also working as the honorary Executive Director for the oraganisation.

2.MALAVIKA DAS- CHAIRPERSON

Malavika is a human and women’s rights lawyer based in Guwahati

3.NASREEN HABIB- MEMBER

Nasreen is a journalist based in Guwahati

4.RASHMIREKHA BORA- MEMBER

5.NILANJU DUTTA- TREASURER

BOARD GOVERNOR

NILANJU DUTTA

TREASURER

Nilanju Dutta is based in Guwahati and currently working as a ‘Gender and Biodiversity Lead’ in “North East Network”. She has been working in the development sector for the last 17 years. Nilanju, is a lawyer by profession and she started her work journey in 2007, with Human rights Law Network Delhi. She had been associated with Jagori, New Delhi, for 8years Team. She is known for her skills as a trainer on issues of gender, GBD, VAW for women. She is the Treasurer of WLTC.

Rashmi Rekha Borah

Member

With ten years of experience in the development sector, Rashmi Rekha Borah is a dedicated defender of women's human rights. She is also a feminist author who recognizes writing as a form of resistance and takes pride in standing with numerous individuals who have amplified the countless narratives of women of different realities around the globe. She is also a trainer on women's rights issues. Presently, she is associated with North East Network as a Project Lead. She received many prestigious awards like Chandraprabha Barua Memorial Award for the best young promising short story writer of Assam, 2009. Munin Borkotoky Sahitya Bota for Singarajanar Rupkatha, a short story collection.
In 2011, Junior Fellowship from the Ministry of Culture, India for research on the myths of NE India related to natural resource conservation. 2013-2014 and Rotary Peace Fellowship, 2015. Some of her prominent publications are: Singarajanar Rupkatha- A short story collection, Dhorakawri Chahar, Poetry collection Boixomya nohoy Xomotahe - A booklet on gender, Pratibadi Kobita - a collection of poetry of resistance Kranti Jari Cho - A docu novel on women combatants of Nepal's People's War. She is a member of WLTC’s Governing Body.

BANAMALLIKA CHOUDHURY

SECRETARY

Banamallika Choudhury is a feminist development professional from Guwahati, Assam. Her work focuses on issues of gender and human rights, including rights of marginalized women like indigenous, rural, and urban poor women, LBTQA+ women, women with disabilities, tea garden women workers, women from char areas of Assam, and others.

She has more than 20 years of experience working with grassroots, national, and international organizations including the Gender at Work India Trust, Malala Fund, the Women’s Safety Accelerator Fund, Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development, and ActionAid. She is the co-founder of NEthing - a creative collective for social change.

Team Members

Malavika Das

ED

She is a gender right activist and a human right lawyer. She is associated with development sector from last 15 years. From 2017 she is associated with WLTC as board of trustees and servings as ED from April 2023.

Swagata Bharali

Admin/account

She is an MBA with specialization in Human Resources and Marketing. Working with SHG Model more than 10+ years associated with an NGO and co-operative bank. Also has experience in HR training and financial literacy program (Women). She is associated with WLTC since 2023 (Admin/account).

Indranee Kalita

Feminist Leader

Indranee Kalita (all/any) is a dedicated queer feminist leader with over a decade of experience advocating for social justice in Assam, India. Through grassroots activism and professional roles, they advocate for gender equality, LGBTQ+ rights, and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). Indranee's work spans organizing movements, providing feminist leadership training, and spearheading initiatives for different communities. She is committed to creating inclusive spaces and amplifying voices that are often overlooked.

Asma Khatun

Community Leader

The goal of our community leader, Asma Khatun, is to support women's advancement. She has advocated for Adivasi rights, anti-discrimination, and untouchability through the Dalit Foundation. She collaborated with the Muslim Women's Forum as well. "Her Lockdown Story" was released by Zubaan and featured her stories of women during the COVID-19 pandemic. During the lockdown, she also worked for 25women in Sonitpur with NEthing's assistance. At the moment, she is working on our “Feminist Leadership Building Trainings project for young women and girls in Assam”. Her goal is to improve the quality of education for girls in four villages in the Sonitpur District by empowering girl leaders and collectives.

Afruja Begum

Community Leader

Afruja Begum, our community leader, is actively involved in our initiative, "Feminist Leadership Building Trainings project for young women and girls in Assam." By finding and developing girl leaders, she is assisting the process of lowering social barriers in the community and is passionate about empowering the girls she works with. With the help of NEthing, she also worked for 25women in Sonitpur during the lockdown. Afruja has been connected to WLTC since 2022.