Kanta Singh, UN Women India’s Country Representative (a.i.), has launched thriWe The Hub for Research and Innovation on Women’s Equity a New Delhi-based think tank dedicated to bridging policy and practice in promoting gender equity.
The initiative seeks to drive systemic change through research, collaboration, and innovation that empower women across economic and political spheres. “There still is a lot to do,” Singh said, underscoring India’s need to increase women’s participation in leadership and the labour force.
The Vision Behind thriWe
Kanta Singh’s latest initiative is built on two decades of groundwork from grassroots programmes to policy advocacy that have shaped her understanding of what real empowerment means.
As UN Women India’s acting Country Representative, her journey has woven through stories of resilience and reform, translating global gender equity goals into local contexts. thriWe, conceptualised under her leadership, seeks to address the persistent gender gap through evidence-based research and cross-sectoral collaboration.
At the inaugural event in New Delhi, Singh shared, “India has made remarkable progress women are at the helm of companies, in legislatures, and breaking barriers across professions. However, parity is not just about numbers; it’s about power, participation, and presence.”
The think tank, she explained, aims to connect academia, government, and industry to ensure equitable opportunities in workplaces, politics, and communities.
Sasmit Patra, Member of Parliament, echoed her sentiments, calling women’s equity “a lifelong cause worth championing.” He pointed out that expanding representation is essential not only for fairness but also for more balanced governance and economic growth.
thriWe’s founder, Pratyush Prabhakar, added that women’s participation is directly linked with innovation outcomes and GDP growth.
Charting the Path Forward
For Kanta Singh, this moment is both culmination and commencement. Before joining UN Women, she worked with UNDP, contributing to policy frameworks that addressed systemic discrimination and enhanced access to economic opportunities for marginalised women.
Her leadership has long been shaped by a belief in data-driven advocacy. “We cannot transform what we do not measure,” she once remarked during a UNDP event in 2021, a perspective that remains pivotal to thriWe’s design.
Under Singh’s guidance, UN Women India has initiated several programmes focusing on care systems, sustainable livelihoods, and female entrepreneurship.
Her work reflects an understanding that women’s empowerment is deeply tied to national progress a theme she reiterated at the launch: “When women rise, societies stabilise, economies grow, and democracies deepen.”
The think tank is expected to develop longitudinal research projects that measure the economic and social returns of gender-inclusive policies and institutions.
By engaging researchers, corporates, and citizen groups, thriWe aims to foster accountability and innovation in advancing gender equality beyond tokenism. Its mission also ties into the broader UN Women agenda of “Generation Equality,” which calls for collective action to challenge social norms that restrict women’s choices.
A Legacy Rooted in Resilience
Kanta Singh’s journey is in many ways emblematic of the very movement she champions. Raised in Haryana, a state long shadowed by gender imbalances, she has often shared how early exposure to inequity inspired her to work for women’s rights.
From field projects in rural India to conversations at the UN General Assembly, Singh’s leadership has evolved around optimism grounded in realism.
In her words, “We must look beyond empowerment as charity it’s about rights, recognition, and representation.” Her pragmatic approach distinguishes her style of leadership, one that merges empathy with evidence.
As she often quips, “The stories of women are not statistics; they are maps of who we are becoming.” Through thriWe, Singh hopes to turn those stories into policy blueprints.
Beyond institutional commitments, Singh is also known for nurturing young women professionals within and outside the UN ecosystem.
She sees mentorship as a catalyst for longevity in gender advocacy “We can’t build sustainable change unless we prepare the next generation to take the mantle forward,” she noted in her address.
thriWe: Connecting Policy to Practice
Kanta Singh’s launch of thriWe marks a transformative moment in India’s approach to gender parity. The initiative is not just a research hub but a platform that promises to humanise policy by grounding it in women’s lived realities.
Singh emphasises that bridging gaps between policymakers, researchers, and practitioners is essential to creating meaningful, actionable change. At the launch, she noted, “When women rise, society thrives,” highlighting the critical societal benefits of inclusive participation.
thriWe aims to translate data and research into policies that reflect real-world challenges faced by women across diverse sectors, ensuring solutions are context-sensitive and impactful.
This approach contrasts with traditional policy models often criticised for detached or generic frameworks, making thriWe a vital bridge between theory and practice.
By centering women’s experiences, the initiative seeks to foster innovation, accountability, and collective progress towards true gender equity in India’s social, economic, and political landscape.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Kanta Singh’s launch of thriWe is more than an institutional milestone it’s a watershed in how India approaches gender parity. The initiative’s success lies not just in its research but in its promise to humanise policy through lived experience.
In celebrating this development, The Logical Indian recognises the power of thought leadership grounded in action. Singh’s call to link inclusion with innovation challenges both state and society to redefine what progress looks like.
In an age where representation often stops at rhetoric, thriWe stands as a reminder that equality demands both courage and continuity. As India collectively reimagines its future, can gender-responsive innovation become the cornerstone of national growth?
