Shagun Sabarwal

Shagun Sabarwal is the Regional Director for Asia at Co-impact. She leads Co-Impact’s program strategy and grant making in Asia.

Shagun is an experienced social policy and development leader with demonstrated experience building partnerships for achieving the use of evidence in policy and supporting programs for gender equality. Shagun is deeply passionate about creating a world full of opportunities that enable leadership of women and girls. Over the years, she has led a portfolio of projects to support governments to scale evidence-based solutions and strengthen implementations systems using monitoring and evaluation, built institutions and teams, and developed and executed strategies for advancing women’s leadership in health.

Shagun has been working to improve gender equality and public health in India and South Asia by promoting the use of evidence in policy decision-making, advising governments to scale evidence-based programs, and conducting impact evaluations. She has supported state governments as a knowledge and learning partner and is currently advising the Governments of Bihar, Punjab and Odisha to reduce ultra-poverty and improve regressive gender attitudes and behaviours among adolescents. Shagun has also co-authored several reports and papers, including on improving immunisation coverage in India through community engagement; developing and selecting measures for child well-being; and quasi-experimental design and methods for building resilience among ultra-poor communities during times of crisis.

Before Co-impact Shagun was the South Asia and Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Director at WomenLift Health. From 2015 – 2021, Shagun was the Director of Policy, Training and Communications at J-PAL South Asia, playing a direct advisory role for the organization’s health, agriculture, climate action, and gender sectors and providing technical and strategic direction to J-PAL South Asia’s partnerships with state and central governments. Shagun has also served as Director, CLEAR South Asia; as an Evaluation Specialist with 3ie; and as a Postdoctoral Fellow at Population Council.

Shagun holds a Doctorate in Public Health from Harvard University. She has been the recipient of several awards and scholarships, including the Fred H. Bixby Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship and the SOPHE/CDC Student Fellowship in Injury Prevention. She resides in Delhi, India with her partner, two sons and a golden retriever.