Our Affiliates:

Asian pacific American Legal Center Asian American Institute Asian law Caucus Asian American Center for Advancing Justice

Asian American
Justice Center
1140 Connecticut Avenue NW
Suite 1200
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-296-2300
Fax: 202-296-2318

Mallika Dutt - American Courage Award

Mallika Dutt is the founder and executive director of Breakthrough: building human rights culture. Breakthrough is an innovative, international human rights organization using the power of popular culture, media and community education to transform public attitudes and advance equality, justice and dignity.

Through award-winning initiatives in India and the United States, Breakthrough addresses critical global issues including violence against women, sexuality and HIV/AIDS, racial justice and immigrant rights.

Dutt has served as program officer for human rights at the Ford Foundation's New Delhi office and as associate director of the Center for Women's Global Leadership at Rutgers University where she was at the forefront of the global women's human rights movement. She is a founder of SAKHI for South Asian Women and has served on several boards and committees including WITNESS, Human Rights Watch Asia and Asian American Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy, Rights Working Group and Games for Change.

The recipient of several awards, Dutt began her career as an associate at Debevoise & Plimpton. She graduated from New York University’s law school in 1989, received a master’s in international affairs and South Asian studies from Columbia University in 1996, and a bachelor’s in international affairs from Mt. Holyoke College in 1983.