Atiya has worked with marginalized populations in the US and India on securing human rights, focusing on access to justice and opportunity, for the last 20 years. Her current preoccupation is making child protection everyone’s business.

Atiya leads Aangan’s work on engaging government and law to advance children’s rights and protection, and to demonstrate the power of the ‘non-expert’ in a community-based prevention model to combat serious child harm.

Atiya’s policy advocacy work includes serving on governmental committees – Ministry of Women and Child Development ‘s Working Group for Child Rights (Twelfth Five Year Plan); the Juvenile Justice Act Review Committee; Convenor, expert committee on Model Homes. In 2009 she led Aangan’s partnership with UNICEF in the creation of a Standards of Care Tool for children’s institutions in the juvenile justice system. She has engaged in national advocacy and training on issues of youth offending and rehabilitation and establishing standards of care for children in institutions and other alternative care settings. Her research and publications include studies of probation in India and due process within the juvenile justice system.

Write to Atiya at atiya@aanganindia.org