Mrinalini Rai (Rai) is Director of Women4Biodiversity and a women’s rights and environmental justice advocate. Mrinalini specializes in policy, advocacy, and research on biodiversity and gender and has worked for several years in advocating for the rights of Indigenous Peoples’ and women and youth in various local to global environmental-related dialogues and processes. She strongly believes in the ground-level up movement and the strength of communities’  lived experiences and voices. She has worked for many years in supporting community-led conservation initiatives in the global South and sees the need for enhancing synergies among multilateral environment agreements and other environmental-related processes and policies. She supports and advocates for the full, effective, and meaningful participation of women and believes they are not only key rights-holders but are also key agents of change for a transformative and just society. Mrinalini holds a Masters degree in Arts in Social Science and Sustainable Development (MASS), Chiang Mai University in Thailand.