Anita Paul is a Past Vice President of  the International Association for Community Development and the co-founder and Director (Community Initiatives) of the Pan Himalayan Grassroots Development Foundation, a voluntary organisation in India which promotes holistic river basin development through active engagement of communities in the central and western Himalayan regions. She is also the Founder-Chairperson of a for-profit Producers Company with 2,000 marginalised women shareholders engaged in sustainable livelihoods improvement efforts.