SPP Womxn's Network

Chair: Impana Pattanshetti

Pronouns: She/Her

Impana is a second-year MPA student at the London School of Economics and Political Science. As the Chair of the Womxn’s Network for 2024-25, she’s not just filling a role—she’s driving a mission. Previously, she served as the student representative for her cohort in 2023-24.

Before joining LSE, Impana worked as a Senior Tax Analyst in the International Tax and Transaction Services division at Ernst and Young LLP. In this role, she specialised in transfer pricing, where she supported the Ernst and Young London team by conducting economic analyses, preparing transfer pricing documentation, and evaluating intercompany transactions to ensure they met international taxation standards. A long-time lover of economics, she holds a bachelor’s degree in economics (Honours) from Christ (Deemed to be) University in Bangalore, India. Her bachelor's thesis delved into the social constructs and challenges faced by women entrepreneurs in India. She has always been passionate about the issues faced by marginalised communities and constantly seeks to educate herself on such issues.

In her first year as a student representative, Impana highlighted the lack of sanitary products available for students and advocated for the provision of free products in the SPP department. As a woman of colour, Impana’s passion for gender equality and inclusivity isn’t just academic; it’s personal. She’s committed to amplifying the voices of marginalised communities and believes in the power of research-driven policies to create meaningful change.

As Chair of the Womxn’s Network, Impana is dedicated to advocating for marginalised communities and amplifying underrepresented voices within the SPP. In line with LSE’s commitment to fostering a global student community, she is focused on creating safe spaces where students can openly discuss their concerns, as well as engage in a variety of events and initiatives. A key priority on her agenda is to expand the provision of free sanitary products across LSE, ensuring broader access for all students.

Whether you have questions, ideas, or concerns, Impana is ready to listen and act.

Head of Advocacy: Tirtha Samant

Pronouns: She/Her

Tirtha is a second-year MPA student from Ratnagiri, India. She is the co-Editor in Chief of the Public Sphere Journal and the Head of the Advocacy team in the Womxn´s Network. She has been working as a Research Assistant at Kubernein Initiative, a geo-political advisory based in India during the recent summer. Tirtha holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from St. Xavier’s College, University of Mumbai situated in Maharashtra, India. 

She is passionate about  gender and inclusivity, politics, climate and governance and the impact that effective policy making has on the citizens and is a women’s’ rights advocate inside and out of LSE. Tirtha is also a published poet, musician and a blogger.

Before enrolling at LSE,  Tirtha worked at the Observer Research Foundation, a leading policy think tank in India and at the Office of Ms Priyanka Chaturvedi, A Rajya Sabha member in the parliament of India. She has also worked as a change leader at change.org and ran a petition catering to women’s political participation. She has interned with the Times of India and the Times, UK and has volunteering experiences at several Non-profits like the NETRI foundation, the Kaash foundation and SPAARC.

As Head of Advocacy for the Womxn's Network, Tirtha is dedicated to amplifying diverse voices and fostering an inclusive environment at SPP. Her goal is to bridge gaps in representation, challenge systemic barriers, and empower individuals to become agents of change. Through collaborative initiatives, policy recommendations, and awareness campaigns, she aims to create lasting impact both within the LSE community and beyond.

Both in the short and longer runs, Tirtha envisions a future where equality and inclusivity are not just ideals, but lived realities, and she invites fellow young minds to join her in this. Please feel free to reach out to Tirtha with any questions, suggestions or concerns about advocacy, the Womxn’s Network in general or anything really!

Head of Events: Unnati Tolani

Pronouns: She/Her

Unnati is a second year MPA student at the London School of Economics and Political Science. She is the Head of the Events for the Womxn´s Network. In her first year at LSE, she served as an editor for the SPP’s Public Sphere Journal.

Last summer, Unnati worked with the Global Indicators Group at the World Bank to ensure that businesses are conducted with ease in developing economies. Additionally, she has worked with Accenture and the Government of India to solve some of the deep-rooted economic problems. She is passionate about all things economics, data, and policy. She has also developed an acumen for research and analytics. She worked with the LSE’s Eden Centre for Education Enhancement and aided in formulating a report to review the digital educational tools at LSE.

As the head of the events for the Womxn’s network, Unnati aims to plan and execute a multitude of events ranging from speaker sessions, interactive panel discussions, and workshops. The primary goal is to ensure that the students have a platform to express their opinions and share knowledge to create an inclusive environment at SPP. Through her initiatives, Unnati hopes to create a positive and a long-lasting impact on the SPP community.

Please feel free to reach out to Unnati with any questions or concerns regarding Womxn’s network or life at LSE in general!