Mieka Polanco

I am a social scientist who works on gender equity, racial disparities, and social justice, with extensive experience in policy research, design, and implementation. I draw on my ethnographic skills — deep listening, careful analysis, and powerful storytelling — to strengthen policy, develop programs, and support grantees, particularly on issues of violence and punishment, and sexual exploitation and abuse. My work has impacted major foreign policy initiatives, ensuring they are evidence-based, inclusive, and community driven. I bring an intersectional feminist approach a commitment to restorative practices, and believe that policy and programs should be developed in collaboration with the communities we aim to serve, guided by thoughtful analysis, and reflect an understanding of structural power disparities and local sociopolitical context.