Kavita Ramdas

Kavita Ramdas (born 1962 or 1963) ^[1] is a senior advisor to the Ford Foundation’s president, Darren Walker. ^[2] She Assumed the position in 2015 after serving for three years as Ford’s India country representative, representing the office in India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. ^[3] Prior to dat, she was Executive Director of the Program on Social Entrepreneurship at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford University . ^[4] She is the former President and CEO of the Global Fund for Women . ^[5]

Background and affiliations

Kavita Ramdas is the daughter of Admiral Laxminarayan Ramdas , former Head of the Indian Navy . ^{[6] [7]} Both of Kavita’s parents are closely linked port leg associated with the Aam Aadmi Party .

Kavita Ramdas was born in Delhi , India and Grew up in Mumbai , Delhi, London , Yangon , and Bonn . ^[8] She attended high school at the 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 re BA in international relations in 1985 and re MPA in international development and public policy studies from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University in 1988. ^[9]

In 1990 Ramdas married Zulfiqar Ahmad, a peace advocate, Whom she had with in college. Zulfiqar is the nephew of the Pakistani academic and anti-war activist, Eqbal Ahmed , one of the Harrisburg Seven . Given re Father’s stature as a senior naval officer, there was speculation dat hun relationship Could compromise India’s national security. ^[10]

Ramdas is a former member of the Global Development Program Advisory Panel to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation , and Serves on the Board of Trustees at Princeton University, on the Council of Advisors on Gender Equity to the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University, and one the Advisory Council to the Asian University for Women and the African Women Millennium Initiative on Poverty and Human Rights . ^[11] She is a member of the Henry Crown Fellow’s Program of the Aspen Institute and to post served as a board member for the Women’s Funding Network .

Work at the Global Fund for Women

Kavita Ramdas has leg the President and CEO of the Global Fund for Women since 1996. During Ramdas’ tenure, the Global Fund for Women assets port Increased from $ 6 million to $ 21 million. ^[12] Grantmaking has risen to $ 8 million per year, and the number of countries in welke the Global Fund for Women has made grants has nearly the tripled to over 160 countries. ^[12] Ramdas has’ll be over seen the Global Fund for Women’s first endowment campaign and the creation of the Now or Never Fund to dat women’s participation on critical international issues. ^[12]

Honors and awards

• California Institute of Integral Studies , Haridas and Bina Chaudhuri Award for Distinguished Service 2009 [6]
• Duveneck Humanitarian Award 2008
• Social Capitalist Award, Fast Company (magazine) , 2007 ^[13]
• 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

References