Shivana Jorawar

Shivana Jorawar is a lawyer and policy advocate who currently serves as the Co-Executive Director of Jahajee Sisters, an organization she co-founded. Jahajee Sisters is a grassroots organization based in New York City creating a safer and more equitable society for Indo-Carbbean women through dialogue, arts, leadership development and grassroots organizing.

Previously, she served as the State Legislative Counsel at the Center for Reproductive Rights where she managed their defensive state advocacy initiatives. She identified and analyzed harmful restrictions, implemented strategies to fight back, and delivered advocacy support to the Center’s clients and state partners.

Prior to joining the Center, she was the Federal Policy Director for the National Abortion Federation where she developed and executed federal policy strategy to further NAF’s priorities and position as a leading voice in the reproductive rights movement. Previously, she directed reproductive justice priorities for the National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum (NAPAWF), the country's only national organization dedicated to social justice and human rights for Asian American and Pacific Islander women and girls.

Shivana is passionate about uplifting the status of marginalized communities, especially women of color, and has a background in legal advocacy and community education around issues of gender-based inequity and violence. Her experience includes working with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission as a legal clerk, working with the the anti-domestic violence organization Sakhi for South Asian Women, and co-chairing a chapter of Law Students for Reproductive Justice.

Her writing and commentary have been featured in many outlets, including The Hill, The American Prospect, Colorlines, the Nation, the Associated Press and the Harvard Asian American Law Journal. She is also a proud abortion storyteller with the We Testify project. Originally from the Bronx, Shivana holds a B.A. in Political Science from Fordham University and a J.D. from Emory University School of Law. She is licensed to practice law in New York state.

Follow Shivana on Twitter @shivspeaks and on Instagram @shivlandia.