Monwara has had a varied career in the public and civil society sectors spanning 30 years. Her leadership journey started as a senior youth practitioner at the age of 18, going on to be a trustee and chair of a charity, including an internship in South Carolina, USA, working with prisoners on Death Row at the age of 20. Monwara is passionate about leadership and how instrumental it is to developing services for the community and advocating for the most vulnerable in society.

In Waltham Forest she has led teams of passionate people, developing ambitious community programmes that tackle social inequality and invested in skills, capability and talent at local level. Her main achievements include fundraising for a new charity to build houses for vulnerable women and children in poverty-stricken areas of Bangladesh, reviving the popular Walthamstow Village Festival and being the first Chair of William Morris Big Local Partnership, a £1m initiative providing social investment and support to a disadvantaged neighbourhood.

She is currently the Chair of the EDI Committee of the Chartered Institute of fundraising and the Chief Executive of Waltham Forest Community Hub, a leading charity known for their collaborative and agile approach in working at a grassroots level. Monwara is a Founder and Director of Stow Inspire CIC and she undertakes international development work in Bangladesh focused at empowering women.