Saptadha Sengupta

MSc Gender, Class of 2025

What are you currently doing and where?

I am currently working as an International Consultant on the UKRI AHRC funded project Crafting Sustainability and Equitability: Reconstructing Pasts and Futures in the Indian creative economy.

Why did you choose to study gender at LSE?

I was particularly interested in the programme’s emphasis on feminist theory and critical approaches to knowledge production. Coming from a background in community-based research and advocacy, I wanted to think more carefully about whose knowledge is recognised, how research relationships are constructed, and how gender intersects with histories of colonialism, class, caste, and marginalisation. Studying at LSE Gender allowed me to bridge my practical experiences with rigorous theoretical frameworks and develop a more nuanced understanding of gender as both an analytical lens and a site of struggle.

How do you use what you learned at LSE Gender in your current role?

It's not an exaggeration when I say that the Gender Department genuinely changed my life. I use it as a lens for asking better questions: who is included, who is excluded, whose labour is visible, and how power shapes outcomes. In my current role, this helps me design more thoughtful research processes and programmes, especially when working with communities.

What advice do you have for current and/or prospective LSE Gender students?

Do not underestimate the value of sitting with complexity. Gender studies does not always provide simple answers, but it equips you with better questions. The ability to think critically about power, inequality, and knowledge production is something that stays with you long after the degree ends.

Connect with Saptadha via email.