Dear ,
Sixteen women gathered in a conference room in Kathmandu. Outside, the city buzzed with noise and movement, but inside there was a quiet intensity - a circle of human rights lawyers deep in conversation, sharing experiences and exchanging legal strategies to defend press freedom. Over three days, there was learning and reflection, but also laughter, solidarity, and a powerful sense that no one here was fighting alone.
When Manushika Cooray, a participant from Sri Lanka, told us: “I come from a society that is still mostly patriarchal. We need these spaces to feel less alone and to encourage us to continue defending rights”, her words captured exactly why these gatherings matter.
This snapshot comes from our most recent women-focused litigation surgery in Nepal, which brought together participants from seven countries across the Asia-Pacific region.
Since 2015, Media Defence has hosted litigation surgeries, regional legal workshops for lawyers defending journalists and free expression. As participants highlighted gender-specific barriers, we expanded our efforts to include women-focused litigation trainings, a peer-to-peer mentorship programme, and gender-specific digital rights modules on our Resource Hub.
Together, these initiatives aim to strengthen the defence of press freedom in an inclusive and diverse way.
In this newsletter, and over the coming weeks, as the latest phase of our women-focused initiative draws to a close, we’ll be sharing highlights and amplifying the voices of the women leading this work in some of the world’s most challenging environments.
