Annual Report: 2023–2024

Dear friends,

To many of us, the world this past year has seemed a broken place, when human beings wallowed in hate, war, genocide, deliberate cruelty, uncaring discrimination. At times like this, though, it strikes me that activist organisations like ours turn to the arts, deriving inspiration from thoughtfulness, beauty, imagination and energy. This has been one such year, as you will discover through this unconventional report.

The past year was also one of introspection. We reassessed organisational policy, necessitated in part by our tremendous growth – from 34 employees in 2022 to 56 employees and several consultants who contributed significantly in 2023. This infusion of new talent also helped fuel new initiatives.

First, the Emerging Leaders Initiative, through which eight young feminists joined us for a year-long journey. Other milestones included the publication of “Disability, Sexuality, and Consent…” in The New York Times, where again, CREA used art to build an innovative narrative. The publication of Flaws in Laws marked a pivotal achievement in knowledge creation, while the new CREA Storytelling Initiative was another intervention in the creative space. Our other major work continued apace, including our flagship Institutes such as SGRI (Sexuality, Gender and Rights Institute), for which we revisited and revised the curriculum to address today’s digital world. We are, as always, deeply grateful for the support of our donors, partners and allies. Together, we will work to drive progress, amplify voices, build a more just world and help keep hope alive in what can seem like the darkest of times.

GEETANJALI MISRA