Kit Bigelow is the former director of external affairs for the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of the U.S. From 1985 to 2010, she had overall responsibility for the functioning of the Washington-based Office of External Affairs and of the Office of the U.S. Bahá’í Representative to the United Nations in New York.
Additionally, she had overall responsibility for the Bahá’í Refugee Office and the Office of Public Information until their integration into other agencies of the U.S. National Spiritual Assembly. Issues included human rights, religious freedom, the advancement of women, refugee affairs, sustainable development, media relations, and UN matters.
She represented the National Spiritual Assembly in the promotion and protection of human rights, including religious freedom, the advancement of the rights of women, U.S. ratification of UN human rights treaties, and the elimination of racism. She advocated on these issues, often with other nongovernmental organizations, at the White House, the State Department, the Congress, and the United Nations.
She was responsible for informing the U.S. government and U.S. national news media about the persecution of the Bahá’í communities in Iran and other Muslim countries. She testified in numerous hearings and briefings before Congress on the oppression of the Bahá’ís in Iran and in Egypt.