Nalini Shekar is a co- founder of Hasiru Dala, an organization of waste pickers in Bengaluru, India. Her passion is to restore the dignity of workers in the unorganised waste sector and improve their access to predictable livelihoods and social security for their families.Nalini has trained several hundred waste pickers about new ways of solid waste management and helped develop their skill to become waste management professionals. In addition she has worked with state officials, students, and citizens on the need for sustainable waste management practices and integration of waste pickers. Before her work in Bengaluru, she advocated the need for rights of survivors of violence for a decade in the US where she was honoured by the Santa Clara County Human Relations Commission, San Jose City Government and presented with a Certificate of Honour by the then Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger. In a career spanning 33 years, Nalini has won many accolades including the Kempegowda Award 2015, from the City of Bengaluru. She was chosen as one of 100 women in India who make a difference in the society by BBC.Com. Most recently she has been cited as Namma Bengalurean of the Year 2020 for her work in the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. Nalini oversees the work of the Hasiru Dala team, guiding policy and advocacy and overall work on the ground.
