Sujata Khandekar

The fragmented sense of identity in India (caused by tribe, caste, gender, literacy divide) leads to underprivileged and marginalized communities questioning their sense of self, stopping them from moving ahead in life and living with dignity and respect, an impact that can be seen from one generation to another. To challenge this, Sujata Khandekar founded one of India’s foremost organisations in grassroots leadership and activism, Community of Resource Organisations, working to build new identities as changemakers and leaders at the individual, community, and organizational levels.

The sense of identity created by caste, race, and gender is deeply rooted in the Indian system and mindset. Marginalized communities are most affected by this fragmented sense of identity. It gets forced on them and they live by it, in many cases from one generation to another. Dr. Sujata Khandekar founded her organization, Community of Resource Organisations (CORO) in 2005 to identify, recruit, enable and launch a new generation of grassroots changemaker leaders whose sense of identity is not rooted in stereotypes of race, gender, class and caste designations, that typically limit what a person’s whole self can achieve. Sujata equips individuals and grassroot organizations to become their own voice and agents of change while creating collective impact by raising integrated campaigns and community movements. She enables grassroots organizations to overcome fragmented identities by fostering a shared sense of constitutional framework, cultivating empathy through inclusive leadership training, and building trust across divides of caste, gender, and religion through long-term collaboration on common local issues. This results in a growing network of changemakers and, through the various campaigns that unite grassroots organizations, increasing the density of changemakers in the communities their networks work in.

Built on a mission to transform marginalized individuals into changemakers, CORO activates community-led campaigns that tackle entrenched social injustices through their network of grassroots leaders and organizations. Through sustained collaboration, these campaigns surface everyday constitutional violations and translate them into organized, community-led demands for policy change. Sujata’s approach not only amplifies grassroots voices but also brings attention to the deeply gendered inequities embedded in public infrastructure and civic systems, and shines light on the importance of participation among those who were once excluded from decision-making spaces.

Sujata has enabled individuals and grassroots organizations to evolve into rights-based movements, collectively tackling a range of issues including water scarcity, domestic violence, gender justice, women’s empowerment, adult literacy, and paralegal training for marginalized communities. By shifting how people understand and respond to discrimination tied to identity, Sujata fosters a new self-conception among the marginalized—one rooted not in limitation but in agency and contribution. This growing network of changemakers is actively redefining equity and leadership from the ground up.

Caste, class, gender and other forms of identity discrimination are deeply entrenched in Indian society and the impact is highest amongst marginalised communities who accept these discriminatory practices as their unchangeable fate. For instance, Dalits—who make up approximately 16.6% of India’s population—continue to face systemic exclusion and violence that severely limit their social and economic mobility. The India Exclusion Report (2018) shows Dalits remain largely absent from positions of power, with less than 5% representation in senior leadership roles across public and private sectors, despite decades of affirmative action. Similarly, only 14.4% of rural women in 2017-18 were engaged in paid employment according to the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) and even fewer occupy decision-making positions that can shape policy or influence systems. These disparities manifest in everyday realities—ranging from untouchability and restricted access to opportunities, to overt discrimination and the denial of basic human rights. In the face of such entrenched exclusion, grassroots leaders struggle to respond at the scale and speed necessary to meet growing needs. Mobilizing support, transforming mindsets, pushing for policy change, and raising awareness often require a lifetime of effort—while systemic marginalization continues to deepen across the country.

These forms of discrimination create deep-seated, often invisible internal barriers. Centuries of caste hierarchies and gender-based marginalization have imprinted stereotypes onto the identities of marginalized individuals, shaping their beliefs about what they can or cannot achieve. Girls from poor, lower-caste backgrounds are often told they are not meant to speak up or lead, and boys from marginalized backgrounds are conditioned to believe they lack the intellect or status to influence change. These psychological constraints—internalized over generations—are just as formidable as legal or social barriers, embedding stereotypes and a sense of limitation that governs aspirations and possibilities. For instance, in Rajasthan, barbers refused to serve Dalits—a discriminatory norm so entrenched that Dalits did not believe they had the right to protest. With no support from police or legal institutions, challenging this practice seemed impossible—until it became apparent to Sujata that a shift to the narrative should come from within. The limitations imposed by caste and gender have no basis in the rights guaranteed to every Indian citizen. Yet, they restrict individuals from realizing their full potential and embracing an integrated sense of self. Sujata recognized its role in helping individuals confront these inner stereotypes and reclaim agency. By working with grassroots individuals and organizations, it created safe spaces for reflection and empowerment.

Moreover, discrimination is compounded at intersections—such as caste and gender. A Dalit woman, for instance, may face three simultaneous layers of exclusion: for facing poverty, for being a woman, and for being Dalit. These layers significantly decrease her chances of becoming a changemaker in her community. A 2019 study by Oxfam India noted that Dalit women face the highest barriers to accessing justice and public services, often due to fear of retribution or lack of institutional support.

These fragmentations took root over multiple generations and the demographic scale of the issue is massive. Sujata also recognized that one single individual or organization could not effect rapid change in the problems that manifest out of deep-rooted discrimination. Mindset changes may even take a lifetime’s work for an individual or a single organization – making it highly improbably to achieve the scale required to create impact. Many grassroots leaders were deeply committed, but isolated – working in silos, under-resourced, and often too focused on fighting injustice within their own identity groups to build collective power. Despite operating in the same geography and often facing overlapping issues, there was no unified front. This fragmented approach meant duplication of efforts, limited resource-sharing, and ultimately, slower progress. The existing civil society ecosystem lacked a mechanism to build solidarity across these lines. Sujata sought to answer the question – could different grassroot organizations and leaders collaborate and solve an issue collectively?

Sujata recognized that social constructs like class, caste, and gender systematically limit marginalized communities from becoming changemakers. These constraints shape beliefs, suppress aspirations, and are often internalized over time. She realized that restoring dignity and self-respect mattered more than financial aid – and that transformation had to begin with changing mindsets. Under her leadership, CORO introduced a collective “software,” a replicable, values-driven framework that unites grassroots leaders to tackle social issues together. Moving beyond identity-based silos, Sujata fostered cross-community collaboration, turning isolated efforts into sustained, coordinated campaigns. This approach has fuelled a growing movement across Maharashtra and Rajasthan, where leaders support one another to drive collective change.

Sujata’s core belief is that deep, lasting change begins with a shift in perception and identity among marginalized communities. Her goal is to dismantle the internalized belief that oppression is fate, and replace it with a new, self-empowered identity rooted in rights and dignity. Through CORO, she equips individuals who then go on to inspire others, gradually increasing impact density and creating a ripple effect of transformation. She formalized this into CORO’s ‘Ladder of Leadership’—a four-stage journey: first, individuals recognize that the discrimination they face is a human-made construct; second, they begin to question violations of their constitutional rights; third, they develop emotional ownership of the cause; and finally, they take bold, collective action to challenge the status quo. Sujata demonstrates that when those historically denied a voice become agents of their own change, they don’t just transform systems —they redefine what’s possible for their communities.

Building on this collaborative foundation, Sujata launched the Grassroots Leadership and Organizational Development Program (GLODP) in 2005 to systematically nurture grassroots leaders and deepen their collective impact. Grassroots leaders are nominated by small organizations that work directly with marginalized communities through activism or changemaking. Those selected are individuals who demonstrate strong potential to drive systemic change within their communities and organizations. Once selected, these leaders become central actors in identifying, refining, and addressing pressing local issues. CORO supports them in sharpening their problem statements to uncover deeper, intersecting challenges that affect not only their own community. Leaders then launch community-driven campaigns rooted in shared lived experiences and local strategies. As campaigns scale, leaders identify and mobilize other affected individuals—community members, peer leaders, and allied organizations. With CORO’s guidance, they form collaborative support groups that advocate for policy change and press for government action. Through this process, leaders undergo a personal transformation—gaining confidence, clarity, and the ability to assert their constitutional rights—and in turn, inspire others within their communities to take action. Fellows involved in these campaigns go on to mentor emerging changemakers, expanding local leadership and building powerful grassroots alliances. As smaller groups unite around common goals, they evolve into organized, rights-asserting collectives capable of demanding and sustaining systemic change.

CORO expanded its work to two of India’s largest states – Maharashtra and Rajasthan. These states perform the lowest in the human development index and constitute 30% of all the cases registered under discrimination and violence against the marginalized. CORO has supported 2,020 grassroots leaders as fellows through GLDOP and now has 751 grassroots organizations in its network as of 2025. At CORO, as grassroots leaders progress through stages of participation, leadership, and ownership—strengthening themselves and the grassroots organizations they represent—many evolve into key stakeholders within the government system, becoming changemakers from within. 83 fellows have taken up public leadership roles within village-level governing structures, and 460 have become members of governing bodies at municipal and corporation levels.

During the fellowship, CORO connects leaders working on similar or intersecting issues to collaborate on shared campaigns. These joint efforts serve as real-time learning experiences, helping them practice collective action and see the power of working together to solve community problems at scale. So far, six such robust campaigns have been implemented in the country, ranging from systemic domestic violence prevention to drought recovery, some of them running for an average of 15 to 29 years. Through these campaigns, CORO has directly impacted over 2 million individuals across 3,300+ villages and mobilized 19,000+ grassroots organizations and 351 semi-governmental bodies.

One of the largest campaigns run by CORO is around the issue of domestic violence – recognizing it as a public violation of human rights. CORO established Mahila Mandal Federations and Community Case Registration Centers (CRCs) with counsellors, legal professionals, and doctors to address domestic violence, reducing cases from 51% to 39% and reducing public acceptance to beat women from 31% to 14%, while promoting legal awareness and livelihood support.

In another case, across 104 drought-prone villages in Maharashtra, CORO mobilized partner organizations and 90 women grassroots leaders to tackle water scarcity, which disproportionately impacted women’s health, education, and livelihoods. As part of the campaign, two key initiatives were launched: Water School and Gram Kosh. Water School provided scientific training on farming and groundwater management, while Gram Kosh established village-level bodies with democratic representation, including at least one member per household, to foster transparent, community-owned problem-solving. Through these efforts, the community built 32 earthen dams, raised groundwater levels by 15 feet, and made the participating villages drought-free. Following initial government resistance, the campaign secured INR 1.4 crore in public funding and is now expanding to 32 additional villages.

The Right To Pee (RTP) Movement is another example of a grassroots movement that came from CORO and is now backed by government policy. Grassroot leaders from 130 organizations under CORO’s leadership launched the campaign in seven slums simultaneously to make sure the existing public toilets for women were made functional, and new hygienic free public toilets opened for women. The strategy adopted by CORO was twofold – to solve the problem with direct intervention and scale the solution through government collaboration. Community toilets were built and maintained by the communities, resulting in one toilet unit mapped to 350 households in a community. The impact led to the state government releasing a corpus fund of INR 10 crore to build new toilets in several such slums and to scale the Right To Pee Campaign further. In Mumbai alone, there are now 501 toilets that are accessed by 900,000 people. This movement of community owned toilets was then integrated into the Swachh Bharat Mission (the Clean India movement) of the central government of India, in its move to curb open defecation. CORO then initiated policy change, filing the Environment Interest Litigation, which included safe disposal of sanitary napkins as part of RTP. Their policy advocacy resulted in funds allocated to the city planning annual budget for public toilet construction and maintenance. Evolving into a systemic change, CORO members were given a seat at the committee dedicated to shape developmental activities of the city, and the influence extends to the inclusion of the curriculum of Municipal Sanitation Officers, amplifying gender sensitization with the campaign’s support.

In some instances that require urgent interventions, CORO engages directly with government authorities as a first step, followed by long-term policy advocacy. In one instance, grassroots leaders successfully lobbied for the relocation of a dam and secured funding for water management, transforming a drought-hit community. This intervention grew into CORO’s women-led Water Conservation Project, now one of its most scalable and celebrated initiatives.

Additional ongoing projects include: ‘Make My Space’ which maps unsafe locations known for violence against women and children and eve teasing; advocacy for dignified divorce for Muslim women (working to prevent ‘triple talaq’); and Yaari Dosthi, a community-based program sensitizing young men on issues related to HIV and gender equity – which has brought sexual violence incidents down from 55% to 19% in the communities CORO also runs a program for single women, a national level advocacy movement that successfully changed state level policies on property rights for single women, transforming the livelihoods of 8,500 women and enabling their self-reliance by arranging 1,800 micro loans.

CORO’s model is a network of networks, believing in and investing in the changemaking capabilities of each individual. Thus, Sujata emphasizes the importance of preserving grassroot knowledge and integrating it into a mechanism for leadership. Over the years, traditional knowledge has been limited by caste, gender, region, and class divisions. Institutional literacy has often taken precedence over lived experiences. CORO’s ‘Atta Deep’ initiative reverses this hierarchy through a decentralized academy that archives grassroots and community knowledge and integrates it within academic frameworks. The initiative positions grassroots leaders as custodians of community wisdom and equal stakeholders and contributors to formal knowledge – a space from which they have been historically excluded. Over the past 35 years, Sujata has created a system that empowers not just leaders of grassroots movements, but also leaders who rise and amplify their voice by leading change at CORO itself. Once oppressed, today Scheduled Caste and Muslim women and men now run and manage CORO.

Dr. Sujata Khandekar’s journey into changemaking began in an unexpected place — as a junior engineer in the Maharashtra State Electricity Board. When she was deputized by the state government of Maharashtra to support adult literacy initiatives in urban slums, Sujata entered with little understanding of the lived realities of the urban poor. Coming from a privileged, upper-caste background, her early perceptions were shaped by societal stereotypes of pity or disdain. But this proximity to communities, especially women in the slums, began to dismantle those assumptions.

Sujata quickly recognized this disconnect of conventional adult literacy programs failing to speak to the urgent, practical needs of the learners. Through her firsthand experiences, she came to see literacy not just as education, but as a tool for dignity, rights, and self-determination. This shift was deeply personal — she moved from being an outsider delivering aid to becoming a listener, facilitator, and co-learner. This transformation laid the foundation for CORO, a collective she co-founded in 1989, that would go on to empower generations of grassroots leaders. Sujata combined grassroots activism with leadership development resulting in community-based empowerment. CORO moved beyond the literacy program and evolved into a facilitator of social change, bridging the micro and macro levels of systemic influence.

CORO was started by representatives from seven organizations led by Sujata, and everyone came from privileged backgrounds far removed from the real problems of the oppressed. Sujata who herself came from a high caste, privileged background, often stood out oddly when she walked into a slum and talked about championing their causes. Her work spoke for her eventually, however, and her own identity grew beyond the class and privilege assigned by society. From lodging simple written complaints at rations shops (government run community shops for subsidized grocery distribution) to entering police stations to file complaints and confronting religious leaders questioning certain practices that went against constitutional rights, CORO helped marginalized communities, especially women, slowly take charge of their own agency. CORO’s literacy program taught Sujata to think beyond what she could do but rather enable the community to own the process and solve their own problems, leading from the grassroots. The initial beneficiaries of CORO, who were mostly part of the literacy program or other early projects of CORO, came back to Sujata and joined to remain as the core team in the organization.

Rather than being the face of the work, Sujata became the force behind others’ leadership. She evolved a personal philosophy centered on enabling agency, not delivering solutions — challenging her own place in systems of caste, privilege, and power. She built CORO as a space where those who had once been marginalized — including Scheduled Caste and Muslim women — could lead from the front. Facilitating grassroots leadership by addressing issues that the community itself identifies is central to Sujata’s vision and CORO’s interventions. Sujata’s work over the past three decades has further led her to explore empowerment of grassroots women in urban and rural contexts in her PhD thesis, Meanings of Women’s Empowerment, with seven grassroots co-researchers with a focus on collective knowledge building from grassroots.

Sujata has been awarded The Anita Parekh Award For Women’s Empowerment through CORO. Her insight into identity as a constructed and changeable reality became the cornerstone of her changemaking. Through the Ladder of Leadership, a framework she co-developed from years of field experience, Sujata supports individuals to evolve from awareness to action. Sujata has received a master’s in Gender, Education, and International Development from the University of London and was a fellow in the Leadership Development Program of the MacArthur Foundation, India. Empowerment of grassroots women and gender equality has been Sujata’s focus of personal and professional interventions over the last 28 years. She firmly believes that the leadership of social change has to emerge from ‘within’.

She has also authored a book in Marathi “Aashevin Aasha’ (Hope without Hope) based on her community-related work. She has represented CORO in national and international forums and has contributed to many publications. Grassroots movements, grassroots mobilization, construction of masculinities and femininities have been the focus of Sujata’s activism and writing. Sujata’s personal journey — from technical expert to a reflective leader, from an outsider to trusted ally — embodies the changemaker ethos. Her leadership is not about standing at the center but about building centers of leadership in others.