Archana Mittal: Pioneering Change for Women and Children in the Development Sector

“Everything happens for a reason” a quote by Shri Krishna to Arjun which is very close to Archana Mittal’s heart and she has always had faith in it. Archana Mittal is a social worker and development sector professional with more than 20 years of experience. She actively participates in any opportunity to contribute to society and make a positive impact on the lives of underserved sections of society, especially women and children.

Archana Mittal has an undergraduate degree in Chemical Engineering from Punjab University-Chandigarh and did her post-graduation in Development Management, from SPJIMR-Mumbai, she has been working in the development sector for more than two decades. She is also a certified REBT practitioner and holds a Diploma in Integrated counseling and Transaction Analysis. Her strong educational background makes her a valuable asset to the team. She wants to make a difference, especially in the lives of girls and women. She sees and hears about the challenges faced in their day-to-day lives at home and workplace, and she does her bit to improve this situation. Being a social worker she thrives to not only help but also empower, motivate, and advocate for them. She grew up seeing and questioning disparity, and inequality in society with regards to women.  

Though she has been involved in social work for the last four decades, as an individual, volunteering with big and small organizations in various capacities, it was only in 2012, while volunteering with CSO-Mission Anganwadi, collating the - Need assessment report for state government(improving the Anagnwadis having best practices), required to enhance her skills, which took to do her PG in Development management, which has helped her to work in this sector in more informed and process driven way. She helped an organization to get impaneled with the Government of India, to become an implementing partner(for maternal and child health) for all the states in our country.

When Archana had seen the gaps and challenges girls and women face right from childhood. Being a therapist and providing ‘Listening Space' has helped her to connect with people naturally. She believes Covid pandemic was a challenging part, moving work online was one of the toughest phases as a counselor, rewiring the whole process of therapy for people seeking your help to address the challenges they were facing due to the pandemic(job loss, relationship loss, deaths, domestic violence had increased during COVID). She was part of the TeleCounselling group, dedicating two hours daily to calls coming from all over the country. It was a mentally exhausting and life-changing phenomenon.

There have been many experiences that were humbling and rewarding, but the one that stands out is when the “Study Report on Maintenance for Distressed Women”, was converted into a Private Member Bill and tabled in parliament. It was a defining moment for her when as part of a team, we were called upon to give suggestions to amend 170-year-old colonial laws.

She has been selected as a Nominee in the top 5 for Social Excellence in Individual Category, by Alma Mater SPJIMR for three consecutive years. She has been awarded Inspiration Award, and Power Women Award. She has been inducted by NHRC, India as a special invitee to their core member group The biggest award for her - from time to time has been seeing the lives of women changing and thrive, helping them live their lives authentically, empowering them with life skills.

She firmly believes in leading with transparency and communication which builds trust and credibility, strives to create an environment, where open and honest communication is valued, and where team members feel comfortable expressing their thoughts, opinions, and concerns. Three A’S define Archana’s style— Agile, Active Listening, Approachable, providing regular opportunities for team members to share their ideas, insights, and perspectives, encouraging collaboration, and fostering a culture where diverse viewpoints are respected, which helps in decision-making processes, providing rationale behind choices so that team members understand the context and reasoning behind decisions.

Her mission to ask and educate girls and women in #KNOW YOURSELF, #KNOW YOUR RIGHTS, #KNOW YOUR FINANCE, #KNOW YOUR HEALTH  -is an all-time work and her goal is to reach and create awareness around these topics, objective is that they empower themselves with these life skills to live a life of dignity. She must have spoken to more than one lakh women everywhere she meets, on various platforms. Every single woman she meets has taught her and motivated her as a social worker, and has given her a perspective, enriching her experience in this field. She has gained lifetime supporters and friends for life in her mission.

Her current main Project is to pilot tech tool creating evidence, supporting women seek justice in courts. This tool will also create data/registry of domestic abuse offenders leading to helping policy-level changes in the system.

Archana’s ambition in life is to make a positive impact on society. She believes that by working in this field, she can contribute to making a difference in people's lives and improving the world we live in. She would want to write a book on her learnings and experiences from her personal and professional life.

Archana advice young women to “Don’t be afraid to ask dumb questions, Be a resource to others who might be struggling or need some encouragement, Find places to work where you are valued for your work and merits, Develop relationships who help you thrive, Do your due diligence, Work hard and always be looking to add value, Give, give, give then ask and finally, Be Authentic #KNOW YOUR STRENGTH and Be An Agile Learner to Stay Relevant".

Lastly, she said “Whatever it is you are seeking won’t come in the form you’re expecting”,  from the book called “Kafka on the Shore” written by Haruki Murakami. She added to this quote “We are seeking different things like love, the true meaning of life, the divine, or the purpose of existence”. For her the purpose and mission in life is to leave a better world for her daughter and the daughters of the world.