our history
Right from the beginning, CREA reframed sexuality and reproductive health and rights in an expansive, intersectional way. It empowered activism by bridging the theory-practice gap. Srilatha Batliwala, Senior Advisor, Knowledge Building
CREA was founded in 2000 by Pramada Menon and Geetanjali Misra, feminist activists and development professionals. They were convinced that the feminist landscape in India needed an organization to centrally address sexuality and reproductive health and rights, and young women’s leadership capacities.
Over years of growth, CREA also came to focus on gender-based violence and disability justice, from a rights-based, intersectional, Global South vantage.
In 25 years of CREA programs, thought leadership and advocacy, key moments include:
2000
Registers as nonprofit organization in New Delhi, where it remains headquartered.
2001
Establishes office in New York City, registers in USA to work at UN, multilateral forums and within and across local, regional and international levels.
2002
Launches with NGO partner TARSHI, the Sexuality and Rights Institute.
2002
Starts Ibtida, a network of women-led grassroots organizations in Indian states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand to train communities on gender, sexuality, rights and feminist leadership.
2004
Begins Global Dialogues series for transnational movement-building.
2004
2005
Translates/shares feminist knowledge resources, journals, papers and guides for Hindi-speaking organizations and activists.
2006
Joins coalition advocating for sexual rights at UN Human Rights Council. Helps lead Voices Against 377 to end Indian law criminalizing same-sex relations.
2007
Launches the flagship Sexuality, Gender and Rights Institute (SGRI), in English and Hindi versions.
2008
Starts FLMBaRI in East Africa. Begins regional work in Asia/Africa to strengthen movement leaders and foster alliances.
2009
Organizes global dialogue between women’s movement and sex workers’ movement as start of decades-long advocacy for sex workers’ rights.
2010
Launches pioneering Disability, Sexuality and Rights Online Institute to bring intersectional understanding of disability justice and feminism.
2011
Commissions, after 10th anniversary, meta-review of CREA’s work over past decade and publishes findings in Dancing on the Edge
2011
Holds first global conference, Count Me In!, bringing sex workers, sexual- and gender-diverse groups and women with disabilities together in South Asia. Starts It’s My Body campaign empowering young girls to resist violence.
2013
Starts Meri Panchayat, Meri Shakti program, working with elected women representatives to bring feminist lens to decision-making at grassroots level.
2015
Starts Sports, Empowerment, Leadership and Freedom (SELF) Academy, using sports to build autonomy for young girls, strengthening them to challenge gender norms.
2017
2018
Convenes global gathering of disability rights activists and those working in sexual and reproductive health and rights to help resolve tensions and build a working bridge, the Nairobi Principles, to facilitate cross-movement action.
2020-21
Develops new strategic plan centering structurally excluded people. Launches social justice primers, All About Power, All About Movements, and Feminist Allyship. Starts Deep Dive series on feminist visions of digital infrastructure.
2022-24
Runs Emerging Leaders initiative for young feminists to work for a year in CREA.
2024
Runs the first Roshni Program to build understanding of democratic values among young women in the Indian state of Bihar.
2024
Starts Gender and WASH Institute to bring intersectional, gender-transformative approach to urban sanitation in India.
