As a Commissioner Representing District 3, I work to advance the rights and welfare of women and girls in my community, and ensure that women of all ages, races and socio-economic status have a voice in City government. In furtherance of its public mandate, the Commission advises the Mayor and City Council regarding the special concerns of women and girls in the community, consults with public agencies on matters relevant to the Commission, and recommends policies, procedures, programs and legislation to promote and ensure equal rights and opportunities for all women in the City. The Commission also works closely with the City and community partners to organize public forums and educational events to commemorate Women's History Month, Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Equal Pay Day and Denim Day.Our priority in 2024-2025 is to advance economic opportunity and pay equity for the women who live and work in Pasadena. As part of that effort, I will be leading our activities to raise awareness about the gender wage gap, and urging the City and local businesses to take the "Equal Pay Pledge." This is a state-wide initiative to close the gender pay gap once and for all. It entails a commitment to conduct an annual gender pay analysis, review hiring and promotion processes to reduce unconscious bias, and promote best practices to help ensure fundamental equity for all employees.The Commission is also working in partnership with community organizations to raise awareness about domestic violence in our community and advocate for stronger prevention and response.

Equality Now is an international human rights organization using the law to protect and promote the rights of women and girls in the US and globally. As the Regional Rep for North America, I developed and lead Equality Now's strategic campaigns in the United States, elevated US issues in international human rights forums, advocated with policy makers and key stakeholders to advance constitutional equality and eliminate child marriage and FGM, and built robust partnerships with civil society organizations and women's rights coalitions at national, state and grassroots level. I also had the privilege of overseeing Equality Now's Adolescent Girls' Legal Defense Fund (AGLDF) and managing grants to community partners in Africa and Latin America for girls empowerment.

Public Counsel is the largest provider of pro bono legal services in the United States. I am proud to have developed and spearheaded a new program area for Public Counsel - the Women & Girls Rights Project (WGR) - focused on workplace rights, equity in education, and gender-based violence. Working closely with pro bono and community partners, the WGR team provided free legal services to low-income women throughout Los Angeles County, representing them in civil litigation and various civil rights and administrative processes, including DFEH, Labor Department and Title IX complaints. WGR also worked in coalition with state and local organizations to enact stronger, more equitable laws and policies in areas such as paid family leave, workplace sexual harassment, pay equity, rights of pregnant and parenting workers, predictable scheduling, gender equity in education (Title IX) and access to childcare. From 2017-2022, WGR served hundreds of low-income clients, established Public Counsel's first workplace justice advice line, and became a founding member of the Los Angeles chapter of Alliance for Girls.

CAST is a human rights organization in Los Angeles dedicated to the identification and referral of trafficking survivors, the mobilization of all sectors of the community to identify and advocate against trafficking, and the provision of comprehensive case management and direct services for victims.As a member of CAST's legal team, I provided direct legal services to both foreign and US citizen victims of forced labor and commercial sex trafficking. CAST's day-to-day work includes identification of human trafficking victims, victim advocacy with law enforcement and the courts, support to victim witnesses, immigration assistance (T-Visas, green cards), advocacy for social and educational benefits, and referrals for family/dependency law, employment law, and civil litigation with one of our pro-bono partners. CAST also collaborates with partners across Los Angeles to improve the response to human trafficking and engages in policy advocacy at State and National level to affect longer-term change.

Technical expert: Harmonizing   National   Abortion   and   Pregnancy   Prevention   Laws   and  Policies   for   Survivors   of Sexual Violence in Sub-Saharan Africa, Population Council/WHO, January-July 2016.   Law and Policy: Trafficking  In  Persons  Legal  Assistance  Program  (TIP-­LAP)   IREX, Washington D.C., November 2015 - present ; Review and analysis of human trafficking legislation and related laws and policies in selected African countriesGrant writing: Domestic Victims of Human Trafficking Program, CAST July-Aug 2017Research: Moving from Research to Action: Lessons Learned from the Africa Regional SGBV Network, Population Council, November 2013-February 2014Research: Legal and policy review regarding availability and accessibility of emergency contraception and safe abortion services for survivors of sexual violence in Sub-Saharan Africa, Population Council, May-July 2013Research: Analysis of statutory sentencing provisions for rape and sexual assault in Sub-Saharan Africa, Population Council, September 2012Curriculum Development and Training: "Policing Sexual and Gender-based Violence."​ International Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA), US State Department, Gaborone, 2010-2012 Curriculum development: Revised curriculum on SGBV and reproductive health for police Victim Assistance Officers in Zambia and Malawi. 2010.Technical Writing: Developed a "Step-by-Step" guide to strengthening sexual violence services in public health facilities, based on lessons learned from various sexual violence care initiatives in Africa. Includes practical guidelines and detailed protocols for delivery of post-rape health care, including assessment, M&E and community outreach tools, Population Council, 2010 Program Evaluation: Final evaluation of USAID and CDC programs to address sexual and gender-based violence in Zambia, including public awareness campaigns and various one-stop models for integrated rape and GBV care, Dev-Tech International, May-July 2010

Managed two multi-year, multi-million dollar projects with the South African Department of Justice and Constitutional Development (DOJCD) aimed at expanding and strengthening integrated services for victims of rape (Women's Justice and Empowerment Initiative) and achieving a more effective and accessible criminal justice system (Criminal Justice Strengthening Program).- Performed full range of contract and/or grant management functions; - Provided technical advice to USAID and project partners in defining strategic direction, designing interventions, establishing performance indicators, and monitoring program performance;- Participated in gender violence workshops and conferences; conducted site visits to new and established Thuthuzela Care Centers around the country;- Liaised closely with high-level South African officials, PEPFAR, the US Embassy/Department of State, and US Department of Justice/ICITAP regarding design and implementation of the two programs;- Drafted reports and briefing documents; participated in USAID annual program performance reviews.

Provided range of consulting services to international organizations, governments and government donors in the region, with focus on gender-based violence and human trafficking. Sample Projects:Technical Assistance, Legal Analysis and Training: Community Mitigation of Child Trafficking, Khulisa Management Services, Johannesburg, South Africa, 2007-2008. Program Evaluation (Gender specialist): Rapid assessment of USAID South Africa's Criminal Justice Strengthening Program, with specific emphasis on USAID’s support to government and NGOs in the area of child protection and gender-based violence, DPK Consulting, 2008Program Evaluation: Final evaluation of UNODC/SADC joint program to address human trafficking in the SADC Region, UNODC Southern Africa, 2007-2008Technical Assistance/Legal Analysis and Training: Ugandan Counter Trafficking Programme for Legislation and Capacity Building, IOM Kampala, 2007-2008.Research/Evaluation: Assessment of Thuthuzela Care Centre compliance with National Department of Health Management Guidelines for Sexual Assault Care, including HIV testing/counselling and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), ECI AFRICA, South Africa, 2007 Technical Assistance/Policy Development/Legislative Drafting: Assistance to the Government of Zambia (Law Commission and Ministry of Home Affairs) to develop comprehensive national policy and legal framework to combat human trafficking, Chemonics International, 2006-2007Research/Legal Analysis/ Training: In-depth, five-country analysis of available laws, policies, and programs to combat human trafficking in the SADC Region, development of training materials and facilitation of training workshops for legal professionals and policy makers, International Organization for Migration, 2005-2006.

- Managed portfolio of Rule of Law projects with the South African Department of Justice, National Prosecuting Authority, and non-governmental organizations aimed at achieving a more effective and accessible criminal justice system and reducing violence against women and children. - Performed full range of contract and/or grant management functions including technical evaluation/ selection of grants and cooperative agreements; programmatic, administrative and financial oversight of activities; strategic analysis and overall program evaluation.

Served as OSCE’s contact point and principal advisor responsible for developing and implementing a coordinated regional approach to combating the problem of human trafficking in Western, Central and Eastern Europe.• Analyzed the problem of trafficking in the OSCE region and the effectiveness of various legal and law enforcement strategies designed to combat trafficking and protect the rights of trafficked persons;• Published background report with policy recommendations for the annual OSCE Review Conference; • Developed a proposed Action Plan for OSCE initiatives to combat trafficking, from the political level to the project level;• Developed and managed the implementation of ODIHR projects and grants relating to trafficking, in co-operation with other members of the Democratization team.

Litigation Associate in prominent mid-sized firm. Represented plaintiffs and defendants in wide-range of civil litigation matters, including employment, civil rights, torts, contracts, securities, fraud and bankruptcy. Experienced in various forms of alternative dispute resolution as well as discovery, motion practice, settlement negotiation, trial, and appeal.

Associate with non-profit management consulting firm specializing in research, monitoring and evaluation of public sector programs. • Participated in over 30 studies and program evaluations for public sector clients involving wide range of educational and public policy issues.• Designed research, conducted large-scale surveys and site visits, analyzed both qualitative and quantitative data, developed recommendations, wrote internal and external reports, and supervised project staff.• Clients included: State Department of Education, Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, Chancellor's Office of the California Community Colleges, Southern California Rapid Transit District, California Public Utilities Commission, City of Los Angeles Department of Telecommunications, and State Planning Task Force on Education for the Homeless.