Indira M. Henard, DSW, MSW is the Executive Director of DC Rape Crisis Center (DCRCC) in Washington, DC. Like WOAR, DCRCC was founded in the early 70s as one of the first rape crisis centers in the country. Indira has been involved in the violence against women movement for 20 years. Indira’s expertise in gender-based violence is rooted in an anti-oppression, feminist theory and survivor centered model. Indira’s direct service experience in various gender-based violence programs has helped to inform her policy analysis that has led to coordinating public policy initiatives, organizing, and planning space for survivor led advocacy and educating local and international communities around civic participation within the violence against women movement.  Indira received her Master of Social Work degree from the National Catholic School of Social Service at Catholic University of America. Additionally, Indira has deep ties within the policy sector having served as a Ralph Bunche Institute Fellow at Duke University, a Congressional Truman Fellow on Capitol Hill and a Charles Hamilton Houston Fellow at Georgetown Law Center. Prior to joining the DC Rape Crisis Center, Indira served as a Senate Aide for Senator Barack Obama D-IL on Capitol Hill, as well as Special Assistant on his Presidential Campaign. Indira was most recently awarded the national “Victim Impact Award” from the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences.