As an advocate and activist, Rutuparna has spoken up for human rights, particularly those of women, at a number of international conferences. Her journey has been documented in the book ‘Thousands of Daughters’ and for her noteworthy efforts in the field of human rights, her social work organization, the Ma Ghara Foundation, has also received numerous awards.

Rutuparna Mohanty is a human rights lawyer and a women’s rights activist. She is also the Managing Trustee of the Maa Ghara Foundation, which provides shelter homes for underprivileged women.

Rutuparna’s birthplace is Garapur, Kendrapara, Odisha. She did  her school education there in her village itself. She went on to study Law at the Women’s College, where she also held the position of the Student Union President. However, as her family's financial situation was not good, Rutuparna had to manage her education expenses by tutoring other students.

Looking back on her early years, Rutuparna shares that she always wanted to become an actor because she loved acting and dancing. She had taken part in a number of competitions and had also competed at the state level. She also received a ‘Best Actress’ award at the time. Though, her dreams did not last long.

Rutuparna has been a devoted follower of Gandhi's ideas and philosophy, as have her family members. Rutuparna was inspired to take action to better the lot of all women in society, not just her sisters, after witnessing the suffering of her two older sisters after marriage.

Rutuparna was a young law student when she developed her excellent leadership abilities to become the president and leader of the student union. Her interactions with notable politicians such as Biju Patnaik and Rabi Ray gave her confidence that she could succeed in politics and that her leadership abilities would serve her well. However, as she did not have the money to pursue her dream of becoming a political figure at the time,  she had to give up the idea.

Rutuparna started working for an NGO that paid her INR 600 a month to care for undernourished children after finishing her legal studies. She worked ten or twelve hours a day and made a huge difference in the lives of the kids, which made her very happy.

She then obtained employment with the government, allowing her to realize her ambition of doing social work that impacts society. She obtained employment with the state's Urban Development Department. She helped individuals improve their lives while working for the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation's slum improvement programme. However, the extremely compromised bureaucratic system made her feel unsatisfied with her position. She spoke out against corruption and advanced to the position of chief of the tribunal. She led a 29-day strike as a protest against corruption.

Her perseverance and her advocacy led the High Court to order the seizure of funds from the corrupt officials. She eventually quit from the position in 2001 as a result of intense pressure and threats from several well-known people at the time.

Rutuparna also married in the interim, and she was fortunate to have a loving husband. In 2004, Rutuparna decided to work for women and children with the encouragement and support of her husband. She feels that these sections of people are the most oppressed in society and have to endure horrible atrocities. She also attended a number of seminars to gain knowledge about social work. It ultimately resulted in the founding of the Maa Ghara Foundation with assistance and backing from the Orissa Women Commission and subsequently IAS Officer Ms. Aparajita Sarangi.

The  Maa Ghara Foundation started out in a rented home. The foundation sought to help women and girls. It provided a secure environment where women could discuss the atrocities they had experienced, find shelter, and pursue relevant education to better their futures. Later, the foundation moved from that rented space to a suitable location of its own after ten years.

In addition, a large number of women from various backgrounds came up in 2010 to assume leadership roles and take responsibility for improving the lives of women in their chosen areas. As a result, the foundation opened multiple branches and established a counseling service and helpline for women. The foundation has made significant contributions to the causes of peacemaking and reducing violence against women.

When asked about her accomplishments, Rutuparna graciously tells us that the American Consulate General from Kolkata visited their foundation in 2009. Rutuparna was selected for a visit to the International Visitor Leadership Programme Council as a result of this visit, where she spoke on human trafficking specifically affecting women. Only five Indians had the opportunity to travel to Washington, DC, and give a presentation. Rutuparna had the opportunity to speak with officials from the International Labour Organisation, Department of Justice, and Department of Labour, among other agencies.

In 2013, Rutuparna received an invitation from the University of San Diego to participate in the Women Peacemaker Programme. It is to be noted that they invite only 4 women across the globe to be a part of this program. Notably, Rutuparna's journey up to that point was documented in great detail over a span of two months. Rutuparna headed to the US for talk programmes and interviews with several NGOs and trade conferences while she was there. Simultaneously, she was listed among the world's top ten lawyers who support social issues. The University of San Diego released a book titled ‘Thousands of Daughters’ that covered Rutuparna's life up until 2013.

Rutuparna was honored in "40 Women Peacemakers Across the Globe" in 2014. For over two months, her photo was on display at the Centre of Arts in the United States. The Jindal Group and other major corporations have also honored Maa Ghara with awards and recognition for its noteworthy contributions to the empowerment of women.

In 2014, Rutuparna launched the ‘Women Peacemaker Award’ in Odisha through her organization. Under this, a woman changemaker who has made a substantial contribution to the advancement of women is recognised and given a INR 50,000 cash reward. As of now, they are honoring one woman at the national level and ten women at the state level for their outstanding contributions to the empowerment of women. To raise awareness, the foundation releases a brief video in collaboration with media organizations that highlights the achievements made by these women.

Rutuparna is still working to address a number of socio economic issues that affect women, including trafficking, violence, poverty, and unemployment. She goes on to say that only India gained its independence by adhering to the non-violence philosophy. As a result, India may lead the way in bringing about world peace. It is essential to put an end to acts of violence against humanity and to constantly prioritize peace.

Rutuparna shares her personal struggles, including the loss of her husband to cardiac arrest in 2017. He had been a source of strength for her. With inspiration from her foundation, and by reading spiritual literature, Rututaprna began to strengthen and heal herself spiritually in order to get over the personal loss. This inspired her, after a 1.5-year break, to resume her work for issues related to humanity.

Rutuparna regrets the lack of initial assistance from governments and other regulatory agencies, which would have enabled her to pursue her goals more successfully. She also wants regulatory and government agencies to know that social activists who point out gaps in policies shouldn't be regarded as anti-national because they recognise that the government exists to improve the lives of its citizens.

Rutuparna further asks that adequate financial and other resources be allocated by the government and regulatory bodies to the fields of women's development, skill development, agriculture, and health in order to speed up the changes that are needed. In addition to improving the lives of women, governments and other relevant authorities should try to increase the proportion of men to women in society, particularly in India's rural areas.