Sonal Dhanani is a Pakistani peacebuilder, feminist leader, and global human rights advocate working at the intersection of Women, Peace and Security (WPS), digital safety, mental health, and climate justice. An alumna of the Beyond Borders Scotland Women in Conflict 1325 Fellowship, she advances UNSCR 1325 principles by strengthening women’s leadership in fragile and conflict-affected contexts across South Asia.

Sonal is the Founder of Parindey Wellbeing and Development Foundation, a social impact organization that integrates trauma-informed peacebuilding, youth civic engagement, and gender-transformative programming. Through regional fellowships, cross-border artistic collaborations, and community-based dialogue platforms, she has supported emerging women leaders to counter violent extremism, challenge digital hate, and build locally rooted peace initiatives.

In 2025, Sonal received the Geneva Human Rights Recognition Award (Individual Award for Defending Freedom of Expression Online), honouring her advocacy against digital violence and her work protecting women’s voices in online civic spaces. Her global engagements include the Rotary Peace Fellowship, Harvard’s Public Narrative Executive Leadership program, and partnerships across Europe and Asia focused on equitable futures and community-led resilience.

Grounded in personal loss due to terrorism, Sonal brings both policy expertise and lived experience to her leadership. She champions feminist, healing-centred approaches that connect grassroots realities with global advocacy spaces strengthening a transnational network of women shaping sustainable peace.

Participant in: August 2023 Fellowship: The Arts as a Tool for Peacebuilding