Amrita Kumar-Ratta

Amrita Kumar-Ratta is a PhD Candidate in Human Geography at the University of Toronto. She is also pursuing collaborative specializations in South Asian Studies at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy and in Global Health at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health. She holds a B.A. in International Development Studies and World Religions from McGill University and an M.G.A from the University of Toronto.

Amrita's research explores the feminist political geographies of reproductive control and justice in 'Punjabi Canada', and incorporates a range of creative methodologies, including arts-based storytelling techniques. With her project Amrita seeks to contribute to the geographic knowledge production about Punjabi femininity in Canada, and to decolonial and co-creative research processes and practices within and beyond the academy.

In addition to being a graduate researcher, Amrita is also a creative writer and arts educator, anti-racism strategist, and community facilitator. Her work is focused around themes of intersectional feminism and gender equity; migration, mobility, and the diasporic experience; and transformative community development and healing justice. She is the Founder & Creator of Shades of Brown Girl, a global storytelling platform, and is an active member of numerous planning committees, advisory groups, and community initiatives in the Greater Toronto Area and beyond.