Kelly Pemberton is an Associate Professor of Religion and Women’s Studies at The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. and advisor to the M.A. Program in Hinduism and Islam in the Department of Religion. Her publications include the books Women Mystics and Sufi Shrines in India (2010) and Shared Idioms Sacred Symbols and the Articulation of Identities in South Asia (2009). Her current research is the global comparative study of Islam and gender activism. Besides teaching, she consults on projects focusing on gender in the Middle East and Asia for non-profit organizations, government agencies, law firms, and private businesses.