Akhila Sivadas has over 35 years of experience in advocacy, research, teaching, and founding the Centre for Advocacy and Research (CFAR). CFAR works on issues like gender, development, media advocacy, and rights for marginalized groups. She has led projects with organizations like UNICEF, UNODC, and UNAIDS on topics such as HIV/AIDS, urban poverty, and gender violence. Sivadas' work involves conducting research, developing advocacy strategies, sensitizing media, and building partnerships between communities and journalists.

1. Akhila Sivadas
Executive Director
Centrefor AdvocacyandResearch
H-2B, Kalkaji( IInd Floor)
NewDelhi - 110019
Ph. 01126418846,26418847; 9810415066(m)
E.mail: akhilasivadas1@gmail.com
1
Experience
My work experience over the last thirty five years has been varied; ranging from teaching graduate level
students,conducting academic and action research studies, freelance journalism to founding and heading
an organization that specialises in advocacy using tools like media advocacy to strengthen media’s
perspective on gender and development issues.
I am one of the founding members of an organisation called the Centre for Advocacy and Research.
Formally registered in January 1998, this institution grew out of an informal group called the Media
Advocacy Group (MAG).
This organisation which, has been functioning for the last fourteen years,consists of media professionals,
communication researchers, social scientists, corporate heads and development activists. The central
concern of this organisation has been to facilitate community-centred advocacy, ensure better and more
informed representation of women and other marginalised groups on all public forums including mass
media- print and electronic and to make all forms of communication gender and development sensitive
Having provided this group the organisational leadership, I have been able to develop tremendous
expertise and insight in strengthening public and policy discourse on social inclusion and rights of all
marginal communities, bettering their representation on mass media, building sustained relationship with
e media, being sensitive to the new developments and changes happening within the media.
2012-05
In the last seven years, with CFAR, having an organizational presence in seven states and working on
diverse issues such as urban poor,child rights and community centred responsesto HIV prevention, care
and support, I focussed on building state level capabilities in implementing media advocacy initiatives on
various development issues.
Supported by a grant from Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, I was part of a series of district and state
level media sensitisation workshops held in States like Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and
Maharashtra.
In all these States,I was part of team that conducted a baseline study to assess media’s perspective and
interest in community-led issues, documented many initiatives on the ground, trained spokespersons and
facilitated an interaction between grassroots groups, programme representatives and the journalists. In
some instances, we also facilitated journalists visit to the sites and used it as an opportunity to sensitise
them on the challenges of mounting a sustainable people-led responses. Also generated media modules
on HIV-AIDS in Indian languages such as Telugu and Kannada.
Partnered with governments in seven cities to improve delivery of social entitlements to urban poor; in
Delhi in collaboration with the Delhi Government contributing to Mission Convergence program to
strengthen single window delivery of services to urban poor.
In addition, I have also been associated with major campaigns such as the National Rural Employment
Guarantee Act, Right to Food and Right to Universal Pension and supported the Campaign committees
with specific inputs on strengthening media advocacy.
As a part of the intervention to strengthen the capacity of community and their representatives to do
advocacy on the rights and entitlements of the urban poor in Delhi, Bangalore, Jaipur and Pune, we have

2. Akhila Sivadas
Executive Director
Centrefor AdvocacyandResearch
H-2B, Kalkaji( IInd Floor)
NewDelhi - 110019
Ph. 01126418846,26418847; 9810415066(m)
E.mail: akhilasivadas1@gmail.com
2
monitoring and tracking the media to understand how the issues concerning urban poor are getting
reflected on the mass media.
2004-2002
CFAR assisted UNODC in the development of a South Asian Regional Gender Strategy to Address
Drug Use and HIV prevention in the region.
Collaborated with UNIFEM to strengthen the advocacy efforts of the Positive Women’s Network;
documented testimonies of human rights violations of women living with HIV/AIDS within the
framework of CEDAW. The research study developed in partnership with positive women sought to
elicit critical issues facing women affected by HIV/AIDS while also documenting responses of key
stakeholders. The initiative resulted in the book titled, “Positive speaking: Voices of women living
with HIV/AIDS”.
In partnership with Positive women’s network, CFAR was engaged in developing a module to be used
by journalists reporting on HIV/AIDS. The module was developed through a series of consultations
with journalists and people living with HIV/AIDS and provides a framework for gender sensitive
reporting.
Undertook a documentation of three SIDA supported (Swedish International Development and
Coordination Agency) partners in Manipur to document their outreach intervention efforts to reduce
the incidence of HIV/AIDS amongst the IDU population and their sexual partners.
As media consultant to UNAIDS I was responsible for developing media strategies, providing
outreach and media positioning of issues of importance for UNAIDS. This has on numerous occasions
meant undertaking sensitisation of journalists and arranging for issue based coverage.
Conducted training workshops on media advocacy and devising advocacy strategies for grass roots
women’s organisations, positive networks, NGOs engaged in implementing responses on HIV/AIDS,
south Asian groups working on reproductive health, groups working with vulnerable communities in
India, Nepal and Bangladesh.
A key area of advocacy intervention that I have been engaged on has been advocacy against Sex
Determination and Sex Selection and played a key role in sensitizing and advocating with key
segments of the media on this issue.
2002-1999
I have assisted national and regional nodal institutions on Gender, Child Rights, Reproductive & Child
Health and AIDS /HIV through conducting wide-scale monitoring, research, advocacy and networking
with institutions and media.
For the National AIDS Control Society of India in collaboration with UNAIDS, facilitated visit by
journalists to various project sites in Uttar Pradesh, Manipur, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat
Prepared a module A Module on Conducting Advocacy on Reproductive Health under Mac Arthur
Fellowship for strengthening advocacy capacities of groups involved in reproductive health interventions
in different parts of the country.
Conducted a five-city study on the Impact of Media Violence on Children

3. Akhila Sivadas
Executive Director
Centrefor AdvocacyandResearch
H-2B, Kalkaji( IInd Floor)
NewDelhi - 110019
Ph. 01126418846,26418847; 9810415066(m)
E.mail: akhilasivadas1@gmail.com
3
Prepared a report on Assessment of Needs for Advocacy Measures in the Health and Welfare
Programme for the Health and Family Welfare Sector Programme in India supported by the European
Commission
Co-authored the Draft Report on Section J of the Platform of Action for the Alternative Country Report
Associated with a team of communication researchers preparing training modules for Master Trainers on
Media Education
Preparing Backgrounders and Modules on Reproductive Child Health Programme in India for media and
development organisations
1998
Worked on a communication project study - Developing A Basic Communication Strategy for DPEP
(District Primary Education Programme), commissioned by Educational Consultants India Limited,
under the aegis of DPEP Bureau, Dept. of Education, MHRD, Govt. of India.
In collaboration with UNESCO conducted a research study on Media Violence and its Impact on
Children
Collaborated with the Breastfeeding Promotion Network of India (BPNI) and UNICEF on a
workshop on Child Nutrition and Media; resource persons from the concerned ministry and
institutions and print and electronic media participated in the deliberations.
Monitored the television coverage of the General Elections, 1998; generated a report entitled
General Elections, 1998:Assessing the Role of Television and General Elections, 1998: Coverage
of Gender and Development Issues.
Formally established Viewers Forums across cities of Delhi, Lucknow, Ahmedabad and Mau and
facilitated Forums to conduct a series of neighbourhood, community and zonal meetings, interacted
with producers, directors, actors and writers of television serials
1997-1992
Having founded an informal group in 1992 called Media Advocacy Group within Women’s Feature
Service, our singular focus was on conducting evidence based advocacy on strengthening gender and
development perspective of mass media.
In this connection some of the major initiatives I shaped were:
Conducted through surveys and focus group discussions television audience feedback study in the three
cities of Ahmedabad, Delhi and Lucknow and the three study groups of homemakers, working women
and students were dealt with separately.
Conducted for a UNICEF supported project media monitoring on nutrition related issues
Conducted media monitoring of prime time programming on national and private channels such as
Doordarshan, Zee and Sun focusing on women's depiction
Evolved curriculum and organising media education workshops among students, professional women
and homemakers is to build informed and committed advocates on the rights of media users.

4. Akhila Sivadas
Executive Director
Centrefor AdvocacyandResearch
H-2B, Kalkaji( IInd Floor)
NewDelhi - 110019
Ph. 01126418846,26418847; 9810415066(m)
E.mail: akhilasivadas1@gmail.com
4
Collaborated with Doordarshan in production of a women's weekly news magazine programme called
Sampark
Assisted Women's Groups,NGOs and Government programmes such as Mahila Samakhya to strengthen
their media advocacy and media coverage
In collaboration with the National Commission for Women, Mass Communications Research Centre,
Jamia Milia Islamia, we conducted a Delhi-based field study on audience views on Obscenity and
violence on the Small Screen.
1991-1977
Project coordinator for the NewConcept Consultancy Services on an evaluation study sponsored by the
UNICEF, Rajasthan on the Assessment of Urban Basic Services, Rajasthan
Researched for a documentary film on Family Planning in India produced by Ms. Deepa Dhanraj.
For Voluntary Health Association of India, assisted in the data collection for a Citizen's Report on the
Status of Health and Environment in India.
Lecturer, St. Anns College for Women, Osmania University, Hyderabad.
Assisted in a project on the Old City of Hyderabad, sponsored by the Planning Commission of India,
under Professor Ratna Naidu, Department of Sociology, University of Hyderabad.
Assistant Research Officer, Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fund, Teen Murti, New Delhi.
EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATION:
M. Phil (Modern Indian History), Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. 1972
M.A.(History), Miranda House, University of Delhi, New Delhi. 1971
BA (Hons.) History, Miranda House, University of Delhi, New Delhi. 1969