Open to opportunities

dhanya shekhar

@dhanyashekhar

Message

I am an advocacy and communications officer driving legislative reform and stakeholder engagement.

Malaysia

Message

What I'm looking for

I am seeking a mission-driven advocacy or communications role where I can lead legislative advocacy, stakeholder engagement, and strategic communications to professionalize social work and advance child protection.

I am an advocacy and communications professional with experience building organisational visibility, designing content strategies, and leading high-impact campaigns that advance legislative reform. At MASW/UNICEF I established a social media presence, produced 50+ advocacy posts, drove 25% follower growth in three months, and delivered campaigns with organic reach above 36,000 while coordinating case studies and stakeholder briefs to support the Social Work Profession Bill.

I bring strong policy and research skills honed at Women’s Aid Organisation, including SPSS-based analysis, policy brief authorship, gender-responsive budgeting coaching, and campaign leadership. I excel at stakeholder engagement, media relations, grant proposal development, and project coordination to translate advocacy goals into measurable policy progress and public awareness.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Current

Advocacy & Communications Officer

Current

Malaysian Association of Social Workers

Oct 2024 - Present (1 year)

Developed MASW’s advocacy and communications strategy while seconded from UNICEF, revitalizing digital presence and driving legislative advocacy for the Social Work Profession Bill; grew social media followers 25% in 3 months and achieved 36,725 organic reach on a key campaign. Managed media relations, stakeholder engagement with government and CSOs, and produced 50+ advocacy posts and toolkits to

Advocacy Communication Media Relations Stakeholder Engagement Social Media Management Campaign Planning Content Strategy Public Policy

Advocacy Officer

Women's Aid Organisation

Oct 2023 - Oct 2024 (1 year)

Led policy analysis, research, and social media team to inform WAO’s advocacy on gender equality and stalking; produced data-driven policy briefs using SPSS and delivered a month-long stalking awareness campaign that strengthened reporting SOPs. Co-authored policy work on single mothers and coached stakeholders on gender-responsive budgeting to influence Budget 2025 discussions.

Policy Analysis SPSS Social Media Management Campaign Management Stakeholder Engagement Gender Responsive Budgeting Research Media Relations

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Intern

Dialogue Includes All

Jul 2022 - Sep 2022 (2 months)

Supported DEI and disability inclusion initiatives by leading blog copywriting and website curation, and assisted the CEO in developing project proposals to secure funding and improve service delivery for persons with disabilities. Contributed to outreach and accessibility efforts to strengthen organizational inclusivity.

DEI Copywriting wix Proposal Writing Accessibility