Sharmila Mona Sinha, an Indian‑American philanthropist and chief executive officer of Equality Now, was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame on September 24 in Seneca Falls, New York, the historic birthplace of the American Women’s Rights Movement. The Hall of Fame, the United States’ first non‑profit organization and museum dedicated to honoring American women’s achievements, now includes Sinha alongside 300 leaders such as Madeleine Albright, Maya Angelou, Janet Yellen, Rosa Parks and Michelle Obama.
Born in Kolkata, Sinha left India at 18 to study at Smith College in Massachusetts, earning degrees in economics and art history before completing an MBA at Columbia Business School. She began her career as an investment banker at Morgan Stanley and later worked for major corporations including Procter & Gamble, Unilever and Elizabeth Arden.
After her corporate tenure, Sinha focused on women’s equality, leading Women Moving Millions, a network of philanthropists who have pledged roughly one billion dollars to support women and girls. She also co‑founded Raising Change, which assists social‑impact organizations in strengthening fundraising and operational capacity.
During the induction ceremony, Sinha reflected on the values inherited from her family, recalling her mother’s daily act of sharing a fistful of rice with those in need. She emphasized that the honor is not a personal accolade but a responsibility to share power and support others. Sinha serves on several non‑profit boards, is Vice Chair of the Executive Council of the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum, and holds advisory positions at Columbia University’s Tamer Institute for Social Enterprise and its Venture Fund Board.
