Navneet Bhalla

Navneet Bhalla currently serves as the Executive Director at Manavi. Manavi is a New Jersey based South Asian non-profit organization dedicated to ending all forms of gender-based violence against South Asian survivors. Founded in 1985, Manavi was the first organization in the United States to address the unmet needs of South Asian survivors affected by violence.  

Navneet is also a co-founder of South Asian SOAR and served as a board member for four year. Navneet represents Manavi as a co-convenor for the South Asian American Policy Working Group, a network of local and national South Asian organizations that address policy issues affecting South Asian communities. At a local level, Navneet serves on the board for New Jersey Coalition to End Domestic Violence and works closely with various organizations statewide to support survivors of violence.

Prior to joining Manavi, Navneet worked as the New Jersey Policy and Outreach Coordinator for a national non-profit, South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT), engaging in policy advocacy for immigrant rights and social justice for South Asian Americans. Navneet’s role was multi-faceted, and she worked closely with various advocacy groups and government agencies to advocate for immigrant rights and social justice issues. 

By way of background, Navneet practiced as an attorney in the United Kingdom for several years and gained extensive experience in immigration law, human rights law, and employment law. As an attorney in the United Kingdom, Navneet represented approximately three hundred asylum seekers from various countries. 

Navneet completed her LL.M. with a specialization in International Human Rights Law at American University, Washington College of Law in Washington, D.C. Thereafter, Navneet served as a Legal Consultant representing the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in Sudan, Africa. During Navneet’s stay in Sudan, she provided legal counsel and policy recommendations on a country wide strategy to address the IRC’s objectives in Sudan. In this role, Navneet collaborated with various nongovernmental organizations and policy groups to build alliances and support communities on the ground.

Over the years, Navneet has been a strong advocate for social justice and human rights while supporting immigrants and survivors of gender-based violence. Navneet is multilingual and fluent in Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu, Farsi and English.