Sahana has 20 plus years in the public policy and human rights advocacy arena, with a primary focus on women’s rights. Sahana currently leads Our Secure Future (OSF) as Vice President and serves as Vice President of the PAX sapiens Foundation.
She is one of a small number of people in the world with deep expertise on Women, Peace, and Security (WPS). Under her leadership, OSF spearheaded the establishment of the first bipartisan WPS Congressional Caucus to advance the goals of the U.S. WPS Act of 2017. She advises the USG (mainly the Department of Defense, Department of State, and Congress), NGOs, international bodies, foreign governments and militaries on how to address women's rights pragmatically and effectively, particularly in conflict areas; stem trafficking and CRSV; and promote democracy and the full participation of women in all facets of society. She is widely published and has received numerous awards for her work, including her appointment to Sasakawa-USA Foundation's Emerging Expert Delegation to Japan (2023), her nomination and recognition as of one of the top 100 feminists in the world by FemList100 (2021), and her appointment as a Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government Carr Center for Human Rights (2011-2013), among other awards. Ms. Dharmapuri serves on the Advisory Board of Rockflower Public Charities and is a co-founder and Board Emeritus Member of the Harvard Women in Defense, Diplomacy and Development Professional Network. She holds a BA and master’s degree from the University of Chicago.
