->Ser Amantio di Nicolao at 02:40, 23 November 2021

2021-11-23T02:40:18Z

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{{short description|Indian/American activist}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=April 2018}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Kavita Nandini Ramdas
| image = Kavita N. Ramdas World Economic Forum 2013.jpg
| caption = Ramdas at the [[World Economic Forum]] Annual Meeting in 2013
| birth_date = September 22
| birth_place = [[Delhi]], [[India]]
| nationality = [[India]]n [[Americans|American]]
| alma_mater = {{nowrap|[[Princeton University]] ([[Master of Public Administration|MPA]] '88);<br/> [[Mount Holyoke College]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]] '85)}}
| occupation = former President and CEO of the [[Global Fund for Women]]
}}

'''Kavita Nandini Ramdas''' (born 1963)<ref name="India Today">{{cite news |url= http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/soul-sisters/1/134637.html |title= Soul sisters |work= [[India Today]] |date= 8 April 2011}}</ref> is currently the president and CEO of the Nathan Cummings Foundation and is a globally recognized advocate for gender equity and justice.

Previously, she was the director of the Open Society Foundations’ Women's Rights Program and the senior advisor to the Ford Foundation's president, Darren Walker.<ref name="Kavita Ramas 2015 Bio">{{cite web|title=Kavita N. Ramdas; Senior Advisor, Global Strategy|url=https://www.fordfoundation.org/people/kavita-n-ramdas/|website=Ford Foundation|publisher=Ford Foundation|accessdate=4 October 2016}}</ref> She assumed the position in 2015 after serving for 3 years as Ford's India country representative, representing the office in India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.<ref>{{cite web|title=Ford Foundation Appoints Kavita N. Ramdas as Representative in New Delhi |url=http://www.fordfoundation.org/newsroom/news-from-ford/647 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924014616/http://www.fordfoundation.org/newsroom/news-from-ford/647 |archivedate=2015-09-24 }}</ref> Prior to that, she was executive director of the Program on Social Entrepreneurship at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at [[Stanford University]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Kavita Ramdas - FSI Stanford|url=http://fsi.stanford.edu/people/kavitanramdas|work=Kavita Ramdas, FSI}}</ref> Kavita is best known for her contribution to feminist philanthropy as former president and CEO of the [[Global Fund for Women]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.globalfundforwomen.org/cms/about-gfw/staff/ |title=Archived copy |accessdate=2009-05-26 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090614220920/http://www.globalfundforwomen.org/cms/about-gfw/staff/ |archivedate=2009-06-14 }}''Global Fund for Women Web site''</ref>

==Background and affiliations==
Kavita Ramdas is the daughter of Lalita Ramdas and Admiral [[Laxminarayan Ramdas]], former [[Chief of the Naval Staff (India)|Head of the Indian Navy]].<ref name=SFG /><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bjp.org/en/media-resources/press-releases/press-smt-meenakshi-lekhi-on-aam-aadmi-party|title=Press : Smt. Meenakshi Lekhi on Aam Aadmi Party|last=BJP|website=www.bjp.org|access-date=2018-03-14}}</ref>

Kavita Ramdas was born in [[Delhi]], [[India]] and grew up in [[Mumbai]], Delhi, [[London]], [[Rangoon]], and [[Bonn]].<ref>[http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/archive/2002/11/10/CM148265.DTL&type=news]''SF Gate news article''</ref> She attended high school at the [[Nicolaus-Cusanus-Gymnasium Bonn|Nikolaus Cusanus Gymnasium]] in [[Bad Godesberg]], [[Bonn]], Germany; the [[Cathedral and John Connon School]], [[Mumbai]], and graduated from [[Springdales School]], [[New Delhi]], in 1980. She studied Political Science at [[Hindu College, University of Delhi]] for two years until 1982. In 1983, she was awarded a scholarship to [[Mount Holyoke College]], [[South Hadley, Massachusetts]], where she received her B.A. in international relations in 1985 and her [[Master of Public Administration|M.P.A.]] in international development and public policy studies from the [[Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs]] at [[Princeton University]] in 1988.<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.forbes.com/2008/11/06/040b.html |title= Thinking Big--and Small: Kavita Ramdas |work= [[Forbes]] |date= 2008-11-14}}</ref>

In 1990 Ramdas married Zulfiqar Ahmad, a peace advocate, whom she had met in college. Zulfiqar is the nephew of the Pakistani academic and anti-war activist, [[Eqbal Ahmed]], one of the [[Harrisburg Seven]]. Given her father's stature as a senior naval officer, there was speculation that their relationship could compromise India's national security.<ref name=SFG>{{cite web|title=A Woman's Work ... / India native Kavita Ramdas spins her privileged background into gold for underprivileged women at S.F.'s Global Fund for Women |url=https://www.sfgate.com/magazine/article/A-Woman-s-Work-India-native-Kavita-Ramdas-2772372.php|date=10 November 2002 | first=Jonathan | last=Curiel | website=SFGate|accessdate=25 April 2018}}</ref>

Ramdas is a former member of the Global Development Program Advisory Panel to the [[Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation]], and serves on the [[Board of directors|Board of Trustees]] at Princeton University, on the Council of Advisors on Gender Equity to the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University, and on the Advisory Council to the [[Asian University for Women]] and the African Women [[United Nations Millennium Project|Millennium Initiative]] on Poverty and [[Human Rights]].<ref>[http://www.globalfundforwomen.org/cms/about-gfw/staff/ Kavita N. Ramdas Senior Advisor, Former President and Chief Executive Officer] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090614220920/http://www.globalfundforwomen.org/cms/about-gfw/staff/ |date=2009-06-14 }} ''© 2010 Global Fund for Women''</ref> She is a member of the Henry Crown Fellow's Program of the [[Aspen Institute]] and previously served as a board member for the Women's Funding Network.

==Work at the Global Fund for Women==
Kavita Ramdas was the President and [[CEO]] of the [[Global Fund for Women]] from 1996 until 2010. During Ramdas’ tenure, the Global Fund for Women assets grew from $6 million to $21 million.<ref name="globalfundforwomen.org">{{cite web |url=http://www.globalfundforwomen.org/cms/about-gfw/staff/kavita-n.-ramdas.html |title=Archived copy |accessdate=2009-05-26 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090418170940/http://www.globalfundforwomen.org/cms/about-gfw/staff/kavita-n.-ramdas.html |archivedate=2009-04-18 }}''Global Fund for Women Web site''</ref> Grantmaking increased to $8 million per year, and the number of countries in which the Global Fund for Women made grants nearly tripled to over 160 countries.<ref name="globalfundforwomen.org"/> Ramdas also oversaw the Global Fund for Women's first endowment campaign and the creation of the Now or Never Fund to ensure women's participation on critical international issues.<ref name="globalfundforwomen.org"/>

Ramdas also served in advisory and/or management roles at MADRE,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.madre.org/|title=MADRE - Global women's rights|work=MADRE|access-date=2018-05-23|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.madre.org/press-publications/statement/madre-announces-new-strategy-advisor|title=MADRE Announces New Strategy Advisor|website=MADRE|language=en|access-date=2018-05-23}}</ref> the [[John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation]], the [[Ford Foundation]], and the Stanford University Program on Social Entrepreneurship.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://cddrl.fsi.stanford.edu/docs/program-social-entrepreneurship/|title=Standford Social Entrepreneurship|work=Stanford University Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law|access-date=2021-07-08|language=en}}</ref>

In 2018 Ramdas was named director of Women's Rights Programs for the [[Open Society Foundations]].

==Honors and awards==
*[[California Institute of Integral Studies]], Haridas and Bina Chaudhuri Award for Distinguished Service, 2009<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.indiawest.com/readmore.aspx?id=1113&Sid=1|title=Welcome to IndiaWest.com|date=2011-07-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713025739/http://www.indiawest.com/readmore.aspx?id=1113&Sid=1|access-date=2018-03-14|archive-date=13 July 2011}}</ref>
*Duveneck Humanitarian Award, 2008
*Social Capitalist Award, [[Fast Company (magazine)]], 2007<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/111/open_socap-chart.html?page=0%2C2 | title=Class of '07: The Fast Company/Monitor Group Social Capitalist Award Winners | publisher=Fast Company | date=1 December 2006 | accessdate=21 November 2011 |author1=Tonya Garcia |author2=Polya Lesova |author3=Josie Swindler |author4=Kathryn Tuggle }}</ref>
*Women of Great Esteem Award, 2007
*Girl's Hero Award, Girls' Middle School, 2007
*Woman of Substance Award, African Women's Development Fund, 2005
*[[Juliette Gordon Low]] Award, [[Girl Scouts of the USA]], 2005
*Woman of the Year for the Public Sector, [[Financial Women's Association]], 2004
*Leadership for Equity & Diversity (LEAD) Award, Women & Philanthropy, 2004
*Bay Area Local Hero, [[KQED-FM]] Radio, 2004
*21 Leaders for the 21st Century Award, ''[[Women's eNews]]'', 2003

==See also==
* [[List of Indian Americans]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/jersey/index.ssf?/base/news-13/1243398949243210.xml&coll=1 The high court nominee stays true to her school], 2009
* [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/03/09/ED2R16AAFB.DTL&hw=inflation&sn=005&sc=807 Women Can Lead the Way to Recovery], 2009
* [http://www.thenation.com/doc/20080310/ramdas Leveraging the Power of Race and Gender], February 2008
* [http://edcorner.stanford.edu/authorMaterialInfo.html?mid=216 Kavita Ramdas Defines Entrepreneurship: Video] - 21 February 2008
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060907130434/http://globalfundforwomen.org/1work/team/team-knr-bio.html Global Fund for Women biography]
* [http://www.princeton.edu/paw/archive_new/PAW04-05/15-0608/features2.html Princeton biography]
* ''[http://www.mtholyoke.edu/offices/comm/vista/spring04/ramdas.shtml Mount Holyoke Vista]''
* [https://www.pbs.org/now/politics/ramdas.html PBS]
* [https://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/terrorism/july-dec02/ramdas_9-06.html Then and Now, Kavita Ramdas], 2002
* [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/archive/2002/11/10/CM148265.DTL&type=news A Women's Work], 2002
* [http://www.newsecuritybeat.org/2012/03/dot-mom-kavita-ramdas-why-educating.html Why educating girls is not enough: Video], March 2012
* [http://www.womensfundingnetwork.org/ Women's Funding Network official site]

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ramdas, Kavita}}
[[Category:American activists]]
[[Category:Indian emigrants to the United States]]
[[Category:Mount Holyoke College alumni]]
[[Category:1960s births]]
[[Category:American Hindus]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Princeton School of Public and International Affairs alumni]]
[[Category:American businesswomen of Indian descent]]
[[Category:Businesswomen from Delhi]]
[[Category:Women scientists from Delhi]]
[[Category:Henry Crown Fellows]]
[[Category:21st-century American women]]

Kavita Ramdas - Revision history

->Ser Amantio di Nicolao at 02:40, 23 November 2021