Bhawana Rai is a dedicated Human Rights Activist with over a decade of experience mobilizing communities and leading the Sex Worker’s Rights Movement. Based in Kathmandu, she has worked extensively at the grassroots level to identify and respond to violence, promote access to health services, and strengthen community-led responses for women facing systemic exclusion.

Her professional journey includes serving as a Peer Leader under UNICEF-supported projects, as well as working as a Paralegal and later as a Senior Program Officer. Across these roles, Bhawana has played a key role in field-based violence identification, legal awareness, and survivor-centered support, ensuring that women are informed, supported, and connected to essential services.

Committed to deepening her practice through academic grounding, Bhawana is currently pursuing studies in Sociology to further enhance her advocacy and service to the female sex worker community. Besides, she is also the Founder of Jeevan Jyoti Mahila Sangh (JJMS), a community-based organization led by and for female sex workers, working to advance dignity, rights, and collective empowerment.