Payal Patel

Payal Patel (she/her) is the Director of AJWS’s Land, Water and Climate Justice (LWCJ) grantmaking department. Payal has nearly two decades of experience in feminist grantmaking, programming, research and evaluation related to human rights, collective land rights, Indigenous Peoples’ rights, social movements, women’s rights, and ecologically sustainable community development. She has long overseen AJWS’s LWCJ grantmaking in East Africa and Liberia. Originally from Kenya, she has a longstanding passion for advancing human rights and social justice on the African continent. She has also worked with grassroots organizations advancing the rights of communities impacted by systemic injustices in Central America and India.

Prior to joining AJWS, Payal worked with the International Center for Research on Women, consulted with the International Labour Organization and the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research, and carried out advocacy related to the work of UN Human Rights Council. She holds an M.A. in International Development from the George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs, and a B.A. in International Relations and Economics from Wellesley College.