Bio

Anu is SWAN’s former Executive Director and Founder. A former Captain and Company Commander, Anu served as a Marine officer from 1999-2004 and was the second woman to complete the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program instructor trainer school, earning a black belt in close combat techniques. Under Anu’s leadership, SWAN has spearheaded legislative reform and litigation to end military rape, sexual assault, sexual harassment, and domestic violence, and to eliminate all barriers to equal opportunity for service women.

Anu has testified before Congress, advised the White House and the United Nations, and has spoken to countless audiences on challenges faced by military women, including the Combat Exclusion policy, Military Sexual Trauma, the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy, and the VA health care and benefits system.

A regular contributor to the media, Anu has been featured on CNN, MSNBC, and in the New York Times, the Washington Post and Newsweek, among many other news outlets. Anu founded and still teaches free weekly yoga and meditation classes to veterans in New York City. She has a Bachelor of Arts in English from Yale University and a Masters of Public Policy from the Kennedy School of Government, where she focused on international human rights policy. Anu is a 2010 Petra Fellow, the 2012 Honoree of the Working Mother Annual Legacy Award, and is featured on the AOL/Huffington Post MAKERS web series.

Anu is currently writing a memior and teaching meditation and yoga to veterans. Her website is www.anubhagwati.com.

Anu tweets from @AnuBhagwati.