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Maja Daruwala is a well-known Indian advocate and human rights activist, who is the younger daughter of the late Indian Field Marshal ‘Sam Manekshaw.’
Wiki/Biography
Maja Manekshaw Daruwala was born as Maya Manekshaw on Monday, 24 September 1945 (age 78 years; as of 2023) in Coonoor, Tamil Nadu. Her zodiac sign is Libra. Maja Daruwala did her schooling at The Lawrence School in Sanawar, India. Later, she obtained a barrister degree from Lincoln’s Inn in London and a LLB degree from London University.
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 5′ 6″
Hair Colour: Black
Eye Colour: Black
Family
Maja Daruwala belongs to a Parsi family.
Parents & Siblings
Her father, Sam Manekshaw, was an Indian Field Marshal, and her mother, Silloo Manekshaw, was a social worker. She has a sister named Sherry Batliwala, a retired corporate employee. Sam Manekshaw died in 2008, and Silloo Manekshaw died in 2001.
Sam Manekshaw with his wife, Silloo, and daughters, Maja and Sherry
A picture of Sherry Batliwala
Husband & Children
Maja Manekshaw is married to a pilot named Dhun Daruwala. The couple has two sons named Raoul Sam (US-based businessman) and Jehan Sam (Mumbai-based theatre artist).
A picture of Maja Daruwala’s husband (left) and son, Raoul Sam
A picture of Jehan Sam
Career
After finishing her education, she worked as a stewardess for the “British Overseas Airways Corporation” (BOAC), now known as British Airways. From 2009 to 2014, Daruwala was a trustee at Oxfam, a charitable organization in Great Britain. In September 1996, she was appointed as the Executive Director of the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI).
Maja Daruwala while lecturing at a news channel for the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI)
She actively participates in numerous charitable boards including NAMATI, International Record Management Trust, Chair in Multiple Action Research Group (MARG) in New Delhi, and Public Affairs Centre (PAC) in Bangalore.
Maja Daruwala while launching a human rights campaign
Maja Daruwala has lived and worked in different parts of the world including England, Singapore, and Sri Lanka. Daruwala then briefly practised law in the Supreme Court of India before dedicating herself to the Ford Foundation as a program officer for South Asia. She mainly worked there on systemic reforms. Daruwala played a crucial role in advocating for civil liberties, gender equality, systems reform, the rule of law, and access to information and justice during her stint as Senior Advisor to Tata Trusts, India’s largest philanthropic organization. She then served as the Convenor and Chief Editor of the India Justice Reports for the years 2019 and 2020.
Maja Daruwala while presenting the India Justice Report
Maja Daruwala serves on the boards of the Population Foundation of India, the Media Foundation, and the Centre for Social Justice, emphasizing women’s health, reproductive rights, media, and civil liberties. She has chaired the Minority Rights Group in London and served on the board of the Justice Initiative at the Open Society Justice Institute in New York, contributing to global rights-based law reform. She has also worked as an External Advisor for the World Bank Group’s Governance and Anticorruption Strategy.
Facts/Trivia
- In her leisure time, Maja Daruwala likes writing columns and articles. Several universities often invite her to their seminars.
Maja Daruwala on the invitation of a university seminar
- In recognition of her work, Daruwala was once named among the 200 World’s Most Dynamic Women by Zerbanoo Gifford.