Lysa is based in India and represents has more than a decade’s work in the field of Governance & Advocacy. After completing her post-graduation from the Social Work discipline in the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, she took up work with YUVA (Mumbai) where she worked extensively on Urban Governance, Housing Rights (with a special focus on women) and the analysis of Municipal Budgets. A large part of her work in this period involved training, advocacy and research, including contributing to international studies on Women & the Right to Housing , the capacity building of municipal officers and women councilors and the co-ordination of books on urban governance such as the Manual on Municipal Budgets (2002), which continues to be an important reference on urban budgets in India. Her involvement with efforts to rebuild the lives, confidence and social identity of young people and women in distress remains among her most important and empowering experiences. She left the organization in the capacity of Executive Director, YUVA Urban n 2006 and after a substantive association of eight years.
Between 2006 an 2009, Lysa was associated as Campaign Coordinator with ‘Wada Na Todo Abhiyan’ (Keep the Promises Campaign) - one of the largest civil society networks in India today, with an outreach across 29 states and a membership of over 5000 development organizations. Organized around the idea of Governance Accountability to End Poverty & Social Exclusion, the initiatives of the campaign include monitoring the key initiatives of the government, campaigning around policy promises such as ‘9-Is Mine’ (9% of GDP to be invested in public health & education) and the consistent linking and representation of women, young people and marginalized communities to the highest level of policy makers including the Prime Minister & President of India, Members of Parliament and agencies like the Planning Commission of India.
In August 2009, Lysa has taken on the role of Campaign Director with GCAP – the Global Call to Action against Poverty – which is one of the largest civil society networks in the world. With a presence across 100+ countries, the work of GCAP is focused on holding governments accountable to address the structural causes of poverty and inequality, and enabling the representation of traditionally excluded communities in the institutions and processes that will determine the achievement of human rights, gender justice, social justice and security for all.
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