Mandira Sharma, born on 2nd June 1972 in Western Part of Nepal, Baglung District, Dhaulagiri Zone.

Address for Correspondence

P.O.Box 21798, Kathmandu, Nepal.
Email: advforum@wlink.com.np
Telephone: 977-1- 438799 (Office)
977-1- 429634 (Resident)

Academic Qualification

LLM in International Human Rights Law University of Essex, Colchester, UK.

Bachelor in Law Nepal Law Campus,
Tribhuwan University Kathmandu, Nepal.
Intermediate in Law Mahendra Multiple Campus,
Tribhuwan University, Baglung, Nepal.
School Leaving Certificate Bidhya Mandir Secondary School,
Baglung, Nepal.
Work experience

Executive Director Advocacy Forum
(July 2001 to onward)

Working as a team leader for Advocacy Forum. Work responsibilities include visiting different police custodies, interview detainees, provide legal and mobilise national international network to reform the situation in pre-trial detention, design and carry out the fact-findings/ documentation of human rights violation in different parts of the country. The responsibilities also include the fund raising for the organisation.

Legal Training Coordinator Centre for Victims of Torture, CVICT
(March 2001 - December 2001)

Conducted training/ facilitated six month long training internship for lawyers on human rights law and penal reform

Programme coordinator Women and Children in Prison Project, CVICT
(September 1997 to August 1999)

Designed, implemented rehabilitation programme for women prisoners and their dependant children In 5 prisons of Eastern Nepal.

Legal Officer CVICT
(January 1994 to August 1997)

Provided legal support for torture victims, file cases on behalf of victims and worked extensively on drafting, lobbying the Torture Compensation Act of Nepal.

Education Publicity Associates CVICT
(February 1993 to December 1993)

Worked in publication section of CVICT, collect materials, send bulletins to all the secondary school of Nepal, VDCs, police station of Nepal.

Case Worker CVICT
(April 1992 to January 1993)

Document the torture cases in centre, assess their need and refer to appropriate section for further investigations.

Consultant DFID, Development and Conflict.

Consultant District Health Strengthening Project.
(September - October 2002)

Responsible to carryout the study on impact of conflict on health professional.

Consultant DFID, Gender Dimension of the Maoist Insurgency.
(March-April, 2002)

Responsible to prepare a study on gender dimension of the Maoist Movement in Nepal. During the consultancy, visited the Maoist controlled areas and interviewed women (both general women in the village and also strongly involved in the movement).

Consultant, (Working Group Member) National Human Rights Commission
(November 2001- April 2002)

Responsible for preparing the status report on human rights situation in Nepal.

Other experiences

• Conducted a study for Penal Reform International (PRI) London on Juvenile Justice System in South Asia during the internship in PRI in London (July to October 2000)

• Conducted various fact-findings mission on torture cases in Nepal.

• Conducted Survey on women prisoners, in Biratnagar prison in eastern Nepal (Feb. 27-10 1996)

• Conducted Survey in 26 prisons in Eastern and Central regions of Nepal on women prisoners, their dependent children and child delinquents (February 1998 to September 1998)

Paper presented

Social Violence against Women: Perspectives from National and International Human Rights Laws.
National Women Lawyer's Conference in Nepal, 2001.

Domestic servitude and Children, Experiences from Nepal,
University of Essex, Human Rights Centre, August 2000.

Improving the health of Nepali Children of Prisoners at 12th conference of Japan Association for International Health, Tokyo, Japan (July 1997)

Publications

Various Publications on issues of torture, custodial violence and prisoners on various issues of VOICE, English Publication of CVICT and YATANA MUKTI Nepali Publication of CVICT.

Witchcraft a problem of gender based violence on women: Responses from National and International Law, NYAYADOOT, Publication of Nepal Bar Association, Magh issue.

Custodial Violence against Women, Human Rights journal of University of Essex, October 2002.

Paper reviewed: Women imprisoned for abortion in Nepal, Published reproductive health matters (No. 10, November 1997) UK

Training / Workshop

- Training for trainer for Human Rights Defender organized by Diplomacy Training Centre, Australia and South Asian Forum for Human Rights in 1995.

- Workshop on Gender Organized by OXFAM, Kathmandu

- Workshop an Advocacy Skills and Strategies for the Advancement of Women in Development, Organized by Didi Bahini, Nepal (August 5-7, 1995)

- Training in counseling skill and case management conducted by Leo Sexton, Psychologist, Victoria Foundation for Torture Survivors in Melbourne, Australia. (16-25, March 1994) CVICT, Kathmandu

- One day Workshop on Family therapy, Organized by Dr. Antonio Martinez Director Marie Kovler Institute in Chicago in Chicago in CVICT, Kathmandu.

-Logical Framework Analysis Training at CVICT

Professional affiliation

Member appellate court, Bar Association, Patan

Various other training and seminar

- Fourth World Conference in Beijing.

- Participated in observation tour on women in politics programme of the Asia Foundation in Philippines, Thailand and India.

- Participated a conference on ‘Improving the Health of Women and Children’ organized by Japanese Association for International Health, Tokyo Japan, July 1997.

Award

- Chevening Scholarship to pursue LLM In International Human Rights Law in the UK,
FCO, 1999-2000

- Future Leader Award from United Nations Fund for Women (UNIFEM) awarded in Beijing, during 4th World Conference on Women (7 September 1995)

- Intelligent student scholarship from Women Lawyer's Monitoring Programme of Legal Aid and constancy Centre, Nepal.