who we are
We think sexuality is really at the frontier of women’s rights. It is a huge area through which control is wielded over our lives. It is about all of us—every woman. How I see who I see; whether I marry; how I spend my money; can I be who I really am; can I make choices; do these choices mean that I face discrimination, stigma, inequality, violence?
Geetanjali Misra | Executive Director, CREA
Founded in 2000, CREA is a feminist human rights organisation based in New Delhi, India. It is one of the few international women’s rights organisations based in the global South, led by Southern feminists, which works at the grassroots, national, regional, and international levels.
Together with partners from a diverse range of human rights movements and networks, CREA works to advance the rights of women and girls, and the sexual and reproductive freedoms of all people. CREA advocates for positive social change through national and international fora, and provides training and learning opportunities to global activists and leaders through its Institutes.
CREA is a feminist international human rights organization based in the Global South and led by women from the Global South. CREA’s work draws upon the inherent value of a rights-based approach to sexuality and gender equality.
CREA promotes, protects, and advances human rights and the sexual rights of all people by building leadership capacities of activists and allies; strengthening organizations and social movements; creating and increasing access to new information, knowledge, and resources; and enabling supportive social and policy environments.
‘The sexy, fearless, madly-creative, edgy, colourful, interrogative and elegant flock of birds flying in formation.’
vision
CREA envisions a more just and peaceful world, where everyone realizes their autonomy, dignity, and equality.
mission
CREA builds feminist leadership, strengthens movements, challenges unjust power structures, expands sexual and reproductive freedoms, and advances the human rights of structurally excluded people.
history
CREA was founded by Geetanjali Misra and Pramada Menon, development professionals who had been working in the diverse fields of reproductive health, sexuality, violence against women, media, and women’s rights in India for more than fifteen years. After noting the troubling lack of prominent feminist voices in India, CREA was established to address the need for a radical organization focused on developing the leadership capacities of young women in addressing issues of sexuality and reproductive health and rights, violence against women, and social justice.
CREA was registered in April 2000 in New Delhi, where it is headquartered, and in New York in 2001, with the long-term vision to create a strong Global South-based organization that works at local, regional, and international levels.
CREA has grown in size and scale over the years, and its evolution has been informed by its experiences and learnings as well as reflections on and persistent questioning of its positioning, approaches and methodologies. In 2020, CREA along with its Board, celebrated its 20th anniversary and initiated a bold, feminist intersectional process to rethink, reimagine, and reboot our work, approaches and strategies. In 2021, CREA began working under a new five-year Strategic Plan to continue advancing the rights of structurally excluded persons. Read more on our politics.
who we work with
CREA believes that a collective, collaborative and inclusive process, which connects individuals and organizations with each other, can enhance learning and action in mutually beneficial ways. CREA works in partnership with organizations, networks and movements, as well as individual activists, practitioners and leaders.