Joyati Das
Director, Healthy Cities for Adolescents Programme

Ms Joyati Das is a senior international development professional, thought leader and human rights advocate with specialisation in child rights in diverse urban contexts. She is the senior visiting fellow at the Melbourne Centre for Cities as the co-lead on the Botnar Evidence to Action Project.

Holding master degrees in Sociology and Communications, Joyati brings more than 20 years of experience in international development, humanitarian response and advocacy initiatives with large non-governmental organisations.  She is experienced in leading multi-regional programs with interactions between evidence-based urban practice, development theory and research, strategy and policy. Her area of action learning spans across 20 countries and includes urban governance, migration, mobility, security of tenure and public space, conflict and climate refugees, education, safety and protection, health and well-being that links to liveability, particularly in secondary cities.

Having served on several UN platforms representing young people’s issues for Habitat III, she has contributed to media and journal articles promoting social justice, equity and human rights of young people. Currently, Joyati leads the Botnar Healthy Cities for Adolescents Program providing overall leadership, strategic vision and management oversight of this global initiative that includes five projects across several secondary cities in the world.