Sunita Viswanath

In 2001, Viswanath co-founded the nonprofit humanitarian organization Women for Afghan Women (WAW).^[8] In 2002, Viswanath edited the volume of essays, Women for Afghan Women: Shattering Myths and Claiming the Future.^[9] Initially founded to support the Afghan community in Queens, WAW expanded in 2005 to support the rights and needs of women in Afghanistan.^[8]

In 2011, Viswanath was awarded the Feminist Majority Foundation's Global Women's Rights Award for her work with WAW.^[10]

Viswanath is no longer affiliated with WAW.^{[11] [12]}

In 2011, Viswanath co-founded Sadhana: Coalition of Progressive Hindus to be a progressive Hindu movement aligned with social justice commitments to anti-casteism and anti-racism.^[13] One of Sadhana's projects, Project Prithvi, aims to protect the environment by cleaning up a beach in Jamaica Bay, Queens.^[6] In 2015, she was honored as a White House "Champion of Change" for her work with Sadhana.^{[14] [15]}

In 2019, Viswanath co-founded Hindus for Human Rights (HfHR), a US-based advocacy organization that aims to promote religious pluralism in North America and South Asia.^[16] In 2021, Viswanath wrote a piece with Raju Rajagopal in favor of the Dismantling Global Hindutva conference in the face of criticism.^[17] In May 2021, Viswanath was a named defendant in a defamation case filed by the Hindu American Foundation, which was dismissed in 2022.^{[18] [19]}

In 2020, Viswanath was named a Religious Life Adviser at Columbia University.^[20] Despite a petition claiming she was "anti-Hindu" and asking her to be removed, the university continued to support Viswanath in her role.^[21]

In 2020, Viswanath was appointed by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio to serve on the Faith-Based Sector Advisory Council to advise on the city's COVID-19 response,^[22] and in 2021 she was part of Mayor-elect Eric Adams' transition committee.^[23]

In 2021, Viswanath was named by the Center for American Progress as one of 21 faith leaders to watch.^[24]

Viswanath serves on the advisory boards of UnFreeze Afghanistan and Population Media Center.^{[25] [26]} In March 2022, Viswanath traveled to Afghanistan as part of a Women's Delegation for Peace and Education, which included Ruth Messinger, Medea Benjamin, Rev. Chloe Breyer, Daisy Khan and Masuda Sultan, to advocate for women's rights and to deliver humanitarian aid.^{[27] [28] [11]}

In August 2022, Viswanath and Masuda Sultan co-founded Abaad: Afghan Women Forward, an NGO which works to provide humanitarian assistance and fund economic programs for women. Its first clients included those formerly served by WAW.^[29]