Ritu Sharma is an American advocate and author specializing in gender equity and international development. She co-founded Women Thrive Worldwide in 1998, influencing U.S. policies such as the Millennium Challenge Account’s Gender Policy and the White House Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Gender-Based Violence Globally. Sharma authored Teach a Woman to Fish: Overcoming Poverty Around the Globe in 2014, highlighting women's roles in global development. She holds a degree in international economics from Georgetown University and a Master of Public Health from Johns Hopkins University. She is Vice President of U.S. Programs and Policy Advocacy at CARE.