Varalakshmi (Vara) Vemuru, an Indian national, is Practice Manager for Social Development Operations in the World Bank's Eastern and Southern Africa Region (AFE). Prior to that she was Practice Manager for Social Sustainability and Inclusion (SSI) Global Practice in Southern Africa and Europe and Central Asia at the World Bank. Her team currently supports 24 AFE member countries’ efforts in designing and implementing operations and analytics on social inclusion, resilience, cohesion, and accountability; and broadening the partnership among stakeholders for coordinated response.
Prior to that, she was Lead Specialist in Africa region. Since joining the World Bank in 2000, Vara has worked on various investment operations, analytics, social risk management and policy advice activities in South Asia, East and West Africa, Europe and Central Asia regions, and the Global Unit of the World Bank.
Her main areas of interest and expertise include Social Inclusion with a particular focus on disability inclusion including mental health, Women’s Social and Economic Empowerment, Gender-based Violence (GBV) prevention and mitigation, Development response to Fragility and Conflict Risks and impacts including refugee and Internally Displaced Persons support, and Inclusive community and local development. She has led reports on Social Impacts of Forced Displacement, Disability Inclusion, Gender and GBV, as well as Indigenous Peoples.