Mohua Sultana (she/her) is Laal's Programs & Research Coordinator. Mohua holds a BA in Multidisciplinary Studies in Biology and Chemistry with a minor in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies from Stony Brook University. She also has an MA in South Asian Studies from Columbia University where she focused on the importance of understanding Bangladeshi Muslim (and diasporic) identities in order to create sex education curriculums that are relatable to Bangladeshi Muslims. She would like to ultimately develop curriculums and strategies to improve the sexual health and well-being of the community. Initially inclined towards a healthcare career, Mohua came to a pivotal realization about the systemic inequalities perpetuated by capitalist structures, particularly in exacerbating health disparities among marginalized communities. Now dedicated to catalyzing change, she aims to dismantle these structures through education and by encouraging others to challenge and reshape these systems.

 

Mohua oversees and partakes in the implementation of various initiatives, conducts research to inform program development and improvement, and ensures Laal's programs align with its mission and goals. Some of her key accomplishments at Laal include building the Digital Literacy and Political Education curricula as well as creating and leading lesson plans for Laal's Reproductive Justice Initiative (RJI). Mohua was drawn to work for Laal because “it advocates for everything [she is] passionate about and strives to find solutions to deep-rooted issues within the Bengali community". In her words, "Bengali women need a space for their voices to be heard and their needs to be met in addition to having access to resources for their overall well-being; Laal does precisely that. Laal’s mission, ‘literacy means liberation’ resonates with me because I truly believe knowledge is power and no one can take that away from anyone.”

 

Mohua also has a personal project known as The South Asian Feminist on Instagram, which aims to bring awareness to the lack of feminism in South Asian communities and encourages reformation by challenging long standing tradition. You can check out @thesouthasianfeminist_  for educational content related to the South Asian experience. She is currently developing a website to give her project a bigger platform where other South Asian feminists can contribute.