Prachi Sharma

The society I grew up in had countless women holding up entire systems—homes, hospitals, and schools ran on their labour—yet the decisions that shaped these spaces were made by men. Male deans led universities, male principals ran schools, and male administrators called the shots. Women were the backbone, but never the architects of power.

I come from a background of privilege. My grandmother was a working woman, a supervisor for community health workers, and from a young age, I watched her lead with quiet strength. I spent my childhood interacting with the women she worked with, listening to their stories, and absorbing their resilience. Looking back, it’s no surprise that I now work with women leaders in global health. My privilege also gave me access to institutions of national and international acclaim—spaces where I saw more women in classrooms, on faculties, and at decision-making tables.

These experiences have shifted my worldview. It changed the way I saw myself as a woman, the way I exercised my agency, and how I chose to use my privilege.

I am driven by the need to create and grow spaces where women’s voices, experiences, and challenges don’t just inform the conversation—they shape the solutions. I work with women leaders to build not just brave spaces but also pathways to power. My aim – to rethink and reshape the leadership pipeline in global health—a field powered by women, but not yet led by them.

Prachi Sharma

WomenLift Health