Kamala Chandrakirana

Kamala Chandrakirana was at the forefront of activism on women’s human rights and social justice issues in Indonesia as the country charted a new pathway after three decades of authoritarianism. While leading a presidential commission on violence against women, she initiated, in 2001, a women’s fund based on partnerships with the arts community and socially-conscious corporations to support women victims/survivors of violence. Kamala continues to integrate the urgency of resource mobilization in her work, including as a member of the UN Human Rights Council’s Working Group on discrimination against women, and as a founder of women’s alliances on peace and security (APWAPS) and on equality and justice in the Muslim family (Musawah). In 2014, Kamala joined the board of the Urgent Action Fund for Women’s Human Rights. Since 2010, Kamala chairs the board of Indonesia for Humanity, an indigenous small grantmaking foundation established in 1995 by leaders of the country’s civil society. As a member of a national coalition on truth and justice on past human rights violations, the foundation is currently accessing funds from a government program on poverty and social inclusion to support the healing and empowerment of victim/survivor communities where gross violations occurred between 1965 and 1998.