Shantha Rau Barriga

Shantha Rau Barriga has a diverse work experience in various organizations. Shantha Rau started their career as a Program Officer at the Salzburg Global Seminar in 1998 and worked there until 1999. In 2001, they briefly worked as a Consultant at UNICEF. From 2002 to 2005, they served as the Director of Communications at the Coalition for the International Criminal Court. In 2005, they joined RI as the Director of Global Advocacy and Programs, where they worked until 2009. In 2010, they began their journey at Human Rights Watch as a Senior Researcher/Advocate, a role they held until 2013 when they became the Founding Director. Shantha Rau then took on the position of Deputy Executive Director and Joint Chief Operating Officer (Acting) from 2020 to 2021. In 2021, they became the Lead for Strategy Development at Human Rights Watch. Additionally, in 2020, they also became the Head of Office at Human Rights Watch.

Shantha Rau Barriga has a Masters in Law and Diplomacy from The Fletcher School at Tufts University, with a field of study in Human Rights Law & Humanitarian Assistance. Shantha Rau also holds a Bachelors with honors from the University of Michigan, where they studied International Relations and German. In addition, they have a Fulbright Scholar certificate from the University of Vienna, specializing in International Relations, including History, Political Science, and Economics. Furthermore, they have obtained certificates in Organizational Leadership and Disruptive Strategy from Harvard Business School Online.