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For years, stories like these have reached Reshma Saujani from young women trying to enter the workforce. One girl told her, “I did an interview, and instead of getting the job, I got asked on a date,” while another said, “I did an interview, and he was on his treadmill.
”The founder of Girls Who Code says these incidents are not isolated. They reflect a deeper pattern that many people are uncomfortable confronting, the persistence of systemic bias against women. Saujani, however, has built much of her career speaking openly about it.In recent interviews and public appearances, including conversations highlighted by TIME, Saujani has warned that the United States is facing what she calls a broader crisis of masculinity, one that she believes is shaping workplaces, politics, and everyday life for women.
In her view, the moment has created what she describes as “dangerous times to be an American woman.”During the event, she said, "Men are lonelier, you know. They are not going to college at the same rates of women. You know, there's a systemic epidemic. But part of what's happened is there are folks on the far-right that have said "the reason why you don't have a job, the reason why you're depressed, is because you see women over there? We gave them too much power.
And the way to lift you up is I'm going to pull them down."She continues on to say that "We are living through one of the most dangerous times it's ever been to be an American woman." Reshma focuses on how 'our reproductive rights are being taken away'. It is here that she suggests that women as a community can only then lead to disenfranchisement and freedom of women from the shackles of patriarchy deeply rooted in the structures and systems.
Building movements for girls and mothers
Saujani has long positioned herself at the forefront of campaigns to close gender gaps in technology and the workplace. She founded Girls Who Code, a global movement focused on increasing the number of women in computer science, and later launched Moms First, a nonprofit advocating for mothers and working families.Both initiatives focus on structural barriers that continue to limit women’s opportunities, from the underrepresentation of girls in tech education to the lack of affordable childcare.Her advocacy recently intersected with policy when she stood alongside New York Governor Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani during the announcement of a $1.7 billion plan to deliver universal childcare for children under five.The proposal reflects a key argument Saujani has made repeatedly: that economic equality for women cannot exist without addressing childcare and caregiving responsibilities.
Recognition and global influence
Saujani’s work has drawn widespread recognition across business, technology and advocacy circles.
In February 2026, she was named one of TIME’s Women of the Year, a recognition of leaders shaping global conversations about equality and social change.Over the years, her work has also appeared on numerous influential lists. She has been included among Fortune’s World’s Greatest Leaders, Fortune 40 Under 40, and named WSJ Magazine Innovator of the Year.Other recognitions include Forbes Most Powerful Women Changing the World, InStyle’s Woman of Impact, and Fast Company’s 100 Most Creative People.
She also received the Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Prize in Education for her contributions to transforming education for girls.
The moment that led to Girls Who Code
The roots of Saujani’s work in technology can be traced back to her political campaign years ago. During an earlier interview with Yale University, she explained how visiting schools during her campaign made her notice something troubling.“I visited schools and classrooms along the campaign trail. And though I lost the election, something about my time visiting those schools stuck with me, the lack of girls in computer science classrooms…”That observation ultimately led her to launch Girls Who Code, an organisation that has since reached hundreds of thousands of girls worldwide through coding education and mentorship.
Early life shaped by refugee parents
Reshma Saujani was born on November 18, 1975, and is an American lawyer, politician and civil servant. Her family history, however, stretches far beyond the United States.In an interview with TIME, Saujani reflected on her parents’ journey to America and how it shaped her outlook.“My parents came [to the U.S.] as refugees. I think about this a lot, especially with what's happening in the country right now. But both my mother and my father were born in Uganda.
[My family was there] for two generations, and they were expelled, with 90 days notice. And growing up in a family where everything can be taken away from you in a second shapes you.”The expulsion of Asians from Uganda forced many families, including hers, to start over elsewhere. That experience, she says, shaped her understanding of opportunity and instability.She has often spoken about feeling indebted to the country that gave her family refuge.“I feel so indebted to the American dream. When you come to this country with nothing like my parents did, with $12 in their pockets, and you're taking classes to learn the language, and the Catholic Church has taken you in to feed you and shelter you, you think a lot about, like, how do you get into the middle class? You know, how do you pay for your groceries? How do you pay for your rent? How do you pay for school?”
From politics to advocacy
Before becoming known for her nonprofit work, Saujani first entered public life through politics.In 2009, she ran against Carolyn Maloney for the US House of Representatives seat from New York’s 14th congressional district, becoming the first Indian American woman to run for Congress.Although she lost the race, the campaign proved transformative for her future work.In 2013, she ran again, this time as a Democratic candidate for New York City Public Advocate, ultimately finishing third in the primary.Those experiences exposed her to education inequalities and workplace barriers that would later shape the missions of Girls Who Code and Moms First.In recent years, Saujani’s focus has expanded beyond technology education to include what she calls the “care crisis.”As founder and CEO of Moms First, she argues that millions of working mothers are trapped between demanding jobs and a childcare system that is too expensive and inadequate. Through policy advocacy and public campaigns, she pushes for solutions such as paid leave and affordable childcare.Her position is clear: economic equity cannot be achieved without supporting caregivers, particularly mothers who make up a large portion of the workforce.
Books, podcast, and reframing midlife
Saujani has also amplified these ideas through writing and media. Her bestselling books “PAY UP: The Future of Women and Work (And Why It’s Different Than You Think)” and “Brave, Not Perfect” explore how societal expectations shape women’s careers and personal lives.In 2024, she expanded into podcasting with “My So-Called Midlife,” produced by Lemonada Media. The show quickly entered Apple’s Top 10 podcast charts and was later named one of the best new podcasts of the year by TIME.Through the podcast, Saujani argues that midlife should not be seen as decline but as a period of reinvention — a theme that mirrors her own transition from politics to activism and public storytelling.
Life beyond activism
Away from her public work, Saujani lives in New York City with her husband, entrepreneur Nihal Mehta. Mehta co-founded the ad-tech startup LocalResponse and is now a co-founding partner at Eniac Ventures, a seed-stage venture capital firm.Saujani is a practicing Hindu, and the couple have two children.Balancing family life with activism, Saujani continues to merge policy advocacy with accessible storytelling. Her inclusion in TIME’s 2026 Women of the Year list reflects the impact of her work, and her argument that meaningful economic reform can only happen when girls and women are fully included in the system shaping it.
English (US) ·