Sohini has worked in the development sector for 30+ years with a focus on women and empowerment. She has been closely connected to the Women’s Movement in India and co-founded Sanhita Gender Resource Centre — the first of its kind in Eastern India in 1996. Before Breakthrough, she worked with Ashoka Innovators for the Public for 10 years to bring in more women entrepreneurs to the fellowship and on institution building for the organisation in South Asia. She also worked as the India strategy advisor for the Asian Venture Philanthropy Network from 2010-2013. Sohini is a founding member of the Coalition for Good Schools – Voices from the South, a collection of leading practitioners and influencers committed to delivering access to a safe learning environment for children across the Global South.
Currently Sohini is the CEO of Breakthrough, an organisation focused on transforming gender norms and building the leadership of young people to prevent gender-based violence. Sohini became Breakthrough’s second President and CEO in July 2017 and helmed the global organisation through a founder transition for the first 3 years. Sohini has worked with Breakthrough since 2010 and has developed an impressive portfolio of support for Breakthrough’s programs and has managed the wide range of partnerships across the globe.
Sohini is a board member of Kolkata Sanved, which uses dance movement for recovery from trauma and violence. She is also a trustee of Read India, an organisation that sets up self-sustaining community libraries across the country. Sohini has a master’s in English literature and a passion for crime fiction, cooking, handicrafts, and travel.
