Pragya Agarwal

Pragya Agarwal is the Director of The 50 Percent Foundation, a research think tank and consultancy that combats unconscious biases that are meted out toward women and is dedicated to creating inclusive spaces for women. Visiting Professor of Social Inequities & Injustice at Loughborough University, Pragya’s foundation and a behaviour and data scientist has put her at the forefront of academia. Several of her publications have been included on reading lists of prominent courses around the world.

A Visiting Fellow at the University of Oxford since 2023, Pragya possesses a PhD in Behavioural & Data Science from the University of Nottingham. Early on in her career, Pragya worked as a Lecturer at University College London, later assuming responsibilities as Programme Director at Lancaster University, Adjunct Professor at Johns Hopkins University and Senior Researcher at the University of Liverpool. Pragya has also contributed to leading publications such as The Guardian, The Independent and is a Contributing Writer for Forbes and the New Statesmen.

Pragya’s books address topics such as stereotypes, unconscious biases, reproductive injustice and racism – issues that prevalent in our society and are vital to raise our voices against. Her latest book “Hysterical: Exploding the Myth of Gendered Emotions” touches on what a future without gendered emotions might look like. It was regarded as the Waterstones Best Book of 2022. Other books Pragya has written include “Sway: Unravelling Unconscious Bias”, “Wish We Knew What to Say: Talking with Children About Race” and “(M)otherhood: On the Choices of Being a Woman”.

Host of the Outside the Boxes podcast, Pragya often speaks on how to address race & racism with children, feminism & parenting and finding our bravest selves. A seasoned speaker, she has delivered the TEDx talks “How to Develop a Creative Habit” and “Shattering Gender Stereotypes: Feminism is Good for Men”. Pragya Agarwal is now available to hire for a wide range of events where she shares her expertise in handling delicate conversations about gender, race, ethnicity and diversity & inclusion related topics. Hire Pragya Agarwal for your next event today!