Mala Htun, author and Distinguished Professor of Political Science at The University of New Mexico, died on 24 January 2025 after living with cancer the last few years.
Professor Htun has been a valued member of the SuPWR International Advisory Board since SuPWR’s inception, providing strategic guidance and academic insight throughout her time on the board.
SuPWR Principal Investigator, Deepta Chopra says:
Mala was always very generous with her time – her inputs and insights on SuPWR helped sharpen our approach and analysis. She was a brilliant academic and a genuinely lovely person. We and the South Asian feminist communities are profoundly indebted to her for her insightful works. We are deeply saddened by this tragic loss, and our hearts go out to her family.
Htun was an accomplished and award-winning researcher and author who dedicated her life to work on women’s rights, social inequalities, and strategies to promote inclusion and diversity. Her most recent book – The Logics of Gender Justice: State Action on Women’s Rights around the World, co-authored with Laurel Weldon – won the 2019 International Studies Association’s Best Book Award in the Human Rights Section.
Among other recognitions and positions, Htun was elected to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences in 2024, was Vice President of the American Political Science Association and served as the chair of the Committee on the Status of Women in the Profession.
In 2021, Mala Htun was a guest speaker at a LUMS Live session where she presented on ‘Causes and Consequences of the Global ‘Rights Revolution’ for Women’. You can watch the full session here.
The SuPWR family extend our sincere condolences to Mala Htun’s family and friends.