Anu Kumar

Anu Kumar is the President and CEO of Ipas, an international reproductive health and rights organization focused on expanding access to safe abortion and contraceptive care.12 She holds a PhD and MPH from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.3

Dr. Kumar joined Ipas in 2002 as Executive Vice President and has held various leadership roles within the organization.3 She became Ipas's first Chief Strategy and Development Officer in 2016 before assuming her current position as President and CEO.3

In her role, Dr. Kumar provides strategic leadership for more than 500 staff across 18-20 countries.12 She is guided by Ipas's commitment to creating a world where every woman and girl can determine her own future.1

Prior to joining Ipas, Dr. Kumar worked as:

1. Senior Program Officer in the Population and Reproductive Health program at the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation13
2. Social Scientist at the World Health Organization's Reproductive Health Research Division13

Dr. Kumar is recognized as an advocate for women's rights and a thought leader in global health.4 She has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals and popular media on topics such as abortion stigma, reproductive freedom, and gender equity in global health.14

Throughout her career, Dr. Kumar has been instrumental in:

• Overseeing various aspects of Ipas, including development, community engagement, and communications1
• Pioneering work on abortion stigma3
• Leading organizational strategic planning processes3
• Establishing new country programs for Ipas in Indonesia, Myanmar, and Mozambique3

Her leadership at Ipas is focused on improving reproductive health services for women and girls, increasing access to these services, and expanding sexual and reproductive rights globally.1