Vandana Bahri is Director – Women’s Economic Empowerment at the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), where she works to advance economic opportunities and workforce participation for women and young women in India.

Vandana has extensive experience across women’s economic empowerment, skills and livelihoods, impact investing, outcomes-based financing and public–private partnerships. At CIFF, she has led work focused on addressing barriers that prevent girls and young women from successfully transitioning from education and skills development into economic participation. 

Prior to her current role, Vandana led CIFF's GIRL Capital work in India. Before joining CIFF, she was at the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), where she led impact investment and strategic partnerships and played a key role in the development and implementation of India's Skill Impact Bond, focused on women's skilling and employment outcomes. 

A Chartered Accountant by training, Vandana began her professional career with EY and PwC and has more than a decade of experience in strategy, management, skills, livelihoods and mobilising private-sector investment for social impact. 

Her work has made her a prominent voice on women's workforce participation, gender-equitable employment, skills development and innovative financing for social impact.

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