Urvashi Butalia is an Indian feminist, historian, who has co-founded Kali for Women, which is India's first feminist publishing house.

Butalia was born in Ambala in 1952. She was the third of four children. She studied B.A. Literature from Miranda House, Delhi University, which was followed by a Masters in Literature and a Masters in South Asian Studies from the University of London.

Her writing has appeared in many publications including The Guardian, The Statesman, The Times of India and several magazines including Outlook, the New Internationalist and India Today.

Her main areas of research include partition and oral histories. She has written extensively on gender, communalism and fundamentalism. She is also a well-known columnist. She was also conferred a Padmashree by for her contribution to India.Urvashi Butalia also started Zubaan, a renowned publishing house.

 Her writings include Making a Difference, Women and the Hindu Right, In Other Words: New Writing by Indian Women, Speaking Peace: Women Voices from Kashmir and The Other Side of Silence.