Smitashree is a Senior Manager with expertise in advocacy and strategic communications on a range of public health issues.

At GHS, she has worked with India and Africa teams on projects such as Family planning, Tuberculosis, Neglected Tropical Diseases, COVID-19, Safe Abortion, and other sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) issues. Smitashree comes with an in-depth understanding and experience of working with the government, technical experts, civil society organizations, media, and popular figures both at the national and state level. Her skillsets include developing and implementing communications strategies, developing modules and conducting trainings, liaising with diverse stakeholders, ideating and developing landscape documents, messaging frameworks and communications materials, and overall management of projects.

Prior to GHS, Smitashree interned at National Skills Development Corporation (NSDC) under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) and Smart Gram Initiative of  Rashtrapati  Bhavan. She completed her Masters (Hons.) in Development and Labour Studies from Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi and her Bachelors (Hons.) in Economics from Ravenshaw University in Odisha.

Passionate about SRHR, Smitashree represented India as a youth leader at the International Conference on Family Planning in Rwanda in 2018 and thereafter nominated for 120 under 40 in 2019. In 2018, she also advocated for issues around family planning with government officials and facilitated media outputs utilizing platforms such as Sex o’clock News. Some of her other interests include travelling and reading.