The chair of the international board of Amnesty International on her calling for human rights work and the women who inspire her the most
Dr Anjhula Mya Singh Bais calls it as she sees it. Formerly the youngest chair of Amnesty International Malaysia and recently appointed as the chairperson of Amnesty’s international board–the first Indian and first person in Malaysia to acquire such a position–she doesn’t mince words when discussing issues of global importance.
But beyond the realm of rhetoric, this internationally-acclaimed trauma psychologist lives to serve, as evident in her activism and her work counselling suicidal frontliners in Malaysia while herself recovering from Covid-19 in early 2021.
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At the core, Anjhula cares more about people than living up to people’s expectations—perhaps this is the secret to her success as a leader, along with an ever-present willingness to learn from others.
The daughter of an aristocratic family from Banswara in Rajasthan, this former Vogue supermodel and certified mental health practitioner speaks with Tatler about her definition of success and her role at Amnesty International.
For me, the brilliance of the mind and spirituality, anchored in rich cultural traditions is what defines success.