Creating change for the better – New Perimeter in Nepal

In November 2024, I was privileged to join five DLA Piper colleagues who travelled to Nepal to deliver New Perimeter's training program for Nepali women lawyers. In collaboration with the Nepal Bar Association and the United Nations Development Programme, New Perimeter trained more than 30 female lawyers, marking the ninth year we have offered this program.

Held annually, the training enables female practitioners from different backgrounds to come together and nurture the development of women in the legal profession. This year's training attracted participants from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences. But one attribute was widely shared: the desire to create change for the better.

Like in many jurisdictions around the world, women practicing law in Nepal face numerous challenges which range from combatting pervasive gender stereotypes to balancing work and life commitments.[1] While there are multiple initiatives, including the New Perimeter project, aimed at advancing the participation of women in the profession, women still make up a startingly small portion of the profession in Nepal.[2]

Throughout the course of the training, we heard stories from women who have overcome significant hurdles, some which have caused great personal and professional adversity, in order to affect change in their communities through the practice of law. For many of the women who work in Nepal, the focus of their practice is to advocate for vulnerable members of their community, especially women and children experiencing disadvantage. I came to understand that often the women lawyers took on these cases pro bono, motivated by a deep sense of fairness and desire for access to justice.

I was often struck by the participants' ambition and desire to make a difference not just for the women and girls in their communities, but also for the women who will come after them in the profession. In this regard, the women I met were eager to learn from the experiences that I and other trainers had working in a value-centred global law firm.

New Perimeter's work building a network of women interested in advancing their own profession and communities is particularly rewarding. I felt privileged to be involved in conversations between participants about how they could expand their own networks and opportunities, promote diversity and inclusion in the profession, and drive innovation.

I returned home to Australia with a renewed sense of the important role of women within the profession. My experience in Nepal gave me unique perspective about the pivotal role women play in achieving social justice and driving positive change, ensuring that our global community is inclusive, fair and just.

[1] Suzanna Brickman, Kristin Franceschi, Ellen Pruitt, and Andrew Valentine, ‘International Training of Women Lawyers in Nepal: A Case Study’ (2023) New Perimeter, DLA Piper, pg 7.

[2] As of 2020, only around 12 percent of Nepali lawyers were female (approximately 2,200 women).