Abza has a Bachelor of Sociology from Delhi University and a Master of Sociology from Jawaharlal Nehru University.
She has worked with the Nobel Peace Laureate, Mr Kailash Satyarthi, as a development professional for more than five years, where she contributed to evidence-based policymaking on issues related to child rights.
She has published research reports and articles about the trafficking of women and children across India. In 2018, she presented a paper at the RINGS Conference at the University of Lisbon, titled, ‘Gender and Child Sexual Abuse: An exploration and reconstruction of concepts of dominance and patriarchy.’
Unfortunately, there have been innumerable instances of Indian women being harassed, abused (verbally and physically), while travelling in India. With the rise of platform economics in Indian transport sector, this project will explore the lived experiences of female passengers using Uber & Ola. Social media is rife with such stories, but so far, there is no systematic investigation of the communication which occurs between female passengers and (predominantly) male drivers. This study will gather data from 4 major metros in India namely: a) New Delhi, b) Mumbai, c) Bengaluru, and d) Kolkata these cities are chosen as they all are distinctly different in terms of historical socio-cultural treatment of women. Data will be gathered by triangulating various qualitative methods such as interviews, open-ended surveys) but also via novel methods such as social media posts (Facebook posts and Twitter feed). The study will take place from 2020-2023 with last year focusing on data analysis, and policy recommendations. Student/s will collect data in India and analysis in Australia and India. Findings from the study will be disseminated via Reports to the industry organisations, relevant government ministries, and academic presentations and publications.
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