Ruth Manorama is a social and political activist and feminist from Bangalore, India. Ruth who was born as a Dalit into the so-called cast of the 'Untouchables' has dedicated her life to battling against the interconnected issues of oppression arising from gender, class and caste hierarchies in contemporary Indian society.

In 1987 Ruth founded and established the first trade union for domestic workers in Bangalore and started the fight for minimum wages. With her educational projects and her social work, Ruth is engaging closely with the everyday lives of urban slum dwellers and undocumented domestic workers to encourage them to organize themselves and stand up in unity for their interests and rights.

Ruth studied law at Madras University and engaged deeply with the theories of Karl Marx and the Indian social reformer Ambedkar. Currently, Ruth holds numerous positions for example in the National Advisory Council for the Rights to Education and the National Standing Committee for Women Scientists and serves as president of the National Alliance of Women in India. In 2006 Ruth was awarded the Right Livelihood Award for her life's work.