Dr. Kaveri Mayra is a Global Health Scientist with qualifi cations in Midwifery, Nursing and Public Health. She has a PhD from the University of Southampton, UK where she explored the embodied experiences of obstetric violence through arts-based research methods (ABRM), thereby adapting body mapping into birth mapping; followed by a 3 year MSFHR post-doctoral fellowship at the University of British Columbia, Canada. She is currently curating The Belly Button Initiative, a birthing experience immersive exhibition using arts-based research approaches. She has worked with organizations such as WHO (HQ & India), International Confederation of Midwives (ICM), Oxford Policy Management (OPM), Public Health Foundation of India, Ernst and Young, Jhpiego and Academy for Nursing Studies and Women’s Empowerment Research Studies. She has served on the boards of many organizations and also works as Academic Editor for Birth-Issues in Perinatal Care and PLOS Global Public Health. She has extensive research, advocacy and teaching experience on nursing and midwifery workforce policies and governance; mental health; and sexual, reproductive and maternal health care, rights and justice, using qualitative and innovative ABRM, for sensitive topics embedded in critical feminist theory. She has recently published a book she co-edited titled Humanized Birth. For an up-to-date list of publications by Dr. Mayra, please see ORCiD.

 

Dr. Mayra is a global speaker and has delivered guest lectures and key-note speeches in universities, conferences & events globally. Throughout her career she has been particularly focussed on decolonizing care, education & research, through her advocacy, her innovation in feminist ABRMs and her recent self-appointed avatar of the saree clad Decolonizer Didi. She continues to work curiously at the intersections of feminist theory, critical theory and decolonization theory; while exploring the domains of women's health (for the seekers and carers) that presents unique opportunities to better understand the under-researched themes of pain & pleasure of women and other marginalized sexes. She is a multiple award-winning researcher and has been featured on media, blogs & podcasts globally. She is recognized as one of the 100 outstanding global midwife and nurse leaders by Women in Global Health (WGH), WHO, ICN, ICM, Nursing Now & UNFPA. While working in Canada, she was Blanketed by the Elders of Musqueam Nation to honour her for her sensitive work.

 

Kaveri is an avid reader and traveller. She reads voraciously on feminism, power, sexuality, pleasure, politics, mental health, politics, history, women’s leadership & reproductive justice. She spends a few weeks every year travelling solo and has developed a decolonizing approach to that. She loves dancing, embroidering, boxing, & museum hopping. She is obsessed with her friends & cats; & is a parent to her feline babies, Noor & Posto.