Aruna Naik , Founder, A Naik & Associates
Law. Awareness. Dignity in Action.
Some changemakers focus on systems.
Others focus on people.
Aruna Naik works at the intersection of both.
A social entrepreneur, lawyer, and Company Secretary, Aruna has dedicated her career to bridging legal advocacy with grassroots change. As the founder of A Naik & Associates, a boutique legal firm, and a member of the Compassionship Edu Tech Foundation, her work spans PoSH consultancy, POCSO sensitization, Intellectual Property rights, and high-impact social initiatives that address menstrual health, STEM education, and sustainability.
At the core of Aruna’s work is a simple but powerful belief: legal frameworks and social awareness must move together. When knowledge meets dignity, empowerment becomes permanent.
Below, Aruna shares her journey in her own words.
Tell us a bit about your background
I am a Social Entrepreneur, Lawyer, and Company Secretary dedicated to the intersection of legal advocacy and grassroots change. As the founder of A Naik & Associates, a boutique legal firm, and a member of the Compassionship Edu Tech Foundation, I leverage my professional expertise to build safer, more informed societies.
My work is defined by a dual focus: ensuring corporate excellence through PoSH consultancy, POCSO sensitization, and Intellectual Property (IP) rights, while simultaneously driving high-impact social initiatives. Through flagship programs like Project Femcare, Project Aashayein, and Project Ignite STEM Passion, I work to bridge critical gaps in menstrual health, STEM education, and sustainability for underserved communities.
I believe that legal frameworks and social awareness must work hand-in-hand. By bringing together NGOs, corporates, and policy stakeholders, I transform “whispered” taboos into action-oriented programs.
My core philosophy is simple: An informed woman is an empowered woman and empowered women transform the world and that real change happens when knowledge meets dignity
What first inspired you to begin this journey or take on the role you are in today?
It wasn’t a single moment, but a quiet, repeating pattern I couldn’t ignore. I saw women full of potential being held back not by a lack of ability, but by a lack of awareness.
I saw menstruation spoken about in whispers. I saw brilliant young girls stepping away from STEM because they couldn’t visualize themselves belonging there. I saw workplaces preach inclusion but fail to understand dignity. It became clear to me that real change doesn’t begin with infrastructure; it begins with honest conversations. That realization pushed me to stop observing and start building.
Along the way, what has been one of the most defining challenges you faced, and how did you navigate it?
One of the hardest challenges was working against deep-rooted stigma and resistance. Many conversations I initiated were met with discomfort, denial, or dismissal – especially around menstrual health and women’s rights.
There were moments of doubt. Moments when progress felt painfully slow. But I learned that change doesn’t happen overnight, it happens through patience, empathy, and persistence.
What impact do you feel your work has created so far – for people, communities, or within your industry?
The most meaningful metric for me is the shift in confidence. It’s seeing a woman speak up where she once stayed silent.
On a strategic level, we have expanded our footprint through collaborations with the Government of Uganda and IDF-USA, focusing on water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH). These partnerships have reinforced my belief that community-led awareness is the only way to create sustainable change.
Looking ahead, what is your vision or goal for the future?
What am I building towards? I am building a world where empowerment isn’t just a series of “events” or “episodes,” but a sustainable ecosystem. My goal is to integrate my two worlds—the legal and the social—into a unified framework. I envision a future where:
- Menstrual health is normalized, not just in homes, but in policy and workplace infrastructure.
- STEM and Entrepreneurship are natural career paths for women, backed by early-childhood awareness and legal protections.
- Social impact is a core business standard, not a CSR afterthought, where every organization prioritizes PoSH, safety, and dignity as a matter of course.
Why does this matter?
It matters because when we treat education, health, and law as silos, women fall through the cracks. If a girl has STEM education but no menstrual health support, she drops out. If a woman has a job but no legal protection (PoSH/IP rights), she cannot thrive. By building an integrated awareness ecosystem, we ensure that empowerment is permanent and generational.
Finally, what message would you share with others who want to create positive change but are unsure where to start?
Where do you start when you’re unsure? Many people wait for the “perfect” moment, a large budget, or a massive platform to begin. My advice is simple: Start with an honest conversation.
Real change doesn’t begin with complex infrastructure; it begins with the courage to speak about the things others are whispering. You don’t need to change the whole world on day one—you just need to change the narrative for one person.
Here are three things I’ve learned on this journey:
- Awareness is the strongest tool: Before you can provide a solution, you must provide knowledge. Once a person understands their rights and their worth, they become their own best advocate.
- Empathy is your engine: You will face resistance and stigma. Don’t meet it with aggression; meet it with the patience and empathy required to unlearn deep-rooted biases.
- Persistence over Perfection: Progress in the social sector can feel painfully slow. Don’t be discouraged by the pace. Small, consistent ripples eventually create a massive wave of change.
You don’t need to be an expert to start, but you do need to be compassionate and care enough to take the first step. Dignity starts with you.
UPDEED Reflection
Aruna Naik’s work reminds us that empowerment is fragile when built in fragments. A woman cannot thrive with education but no health support. She cannot succeed at work without dignity, safety, or legal protection.
At UPDEED, we spotlight changemakers like Aruna because they move beyond isolated interventions and build systems of continuity—where law, awareness, education, and dignity reinforce one another.
Her journey shows that social change is not always loud. Sometimes, it begins by naming what others avoid. By turning whispered truths into shared understanding. By designing ecosystems where women are informed, protected, and free to lead.
This is what sustainable impact looks like when knowledge meets courage.
UPDEED , where changemakers lead, and their impact becomes visible.
