Palwasha L Kakar

Palwasha L Kakar is an experienced professional in the fields of gender, religion, and inclusive societies, currently serving as the Interim Director and Senior Program Officer at the United States Institute of Peace since January 2014. Previously, Palwasha held significant roles at The Asia Foundation, including Director of Women's Empowerment and Development Programs, and developed a $3.5 million portfolio focused on protecting women's rights within an Islamic framework in Afghanistan. Palwasha's work with the United Nations involved developing resources for civil society engagement on gender issues. Other roles included serving as Governance Advisor and Program Manager at Kabul University, where Palwasha focused on establishing a Gender Studies Institute. Educational qualifications include a Master's degree in Gender, Religion, and Politics from Harvard University and a Bachelor's degree in International/Global Studies and Religion from Bethel College-North Newton.