Law & Justice

Nida Usman Chaudhary

Diversity & Inclusion Advocate and Founder

Women in Law Initiative Pakistan

Lahore · English, Urdu

Biography

Nida Usman Chaudhary is a Pakistani legal scholar, educator, author, gender equality advocate, and the Founder of Women in Law Initiative Pakistan, a pioneering platform advancing women's representation, leadership and equal opportunities within the justice sector.

With nearly two decades of experience spanning legal education, research, policy advocacy and institutional capacity building, her work focuses on gender justice, access to justice, constitutionalism and structural reform of legal institutions. Through her research, publications and advocacy, she has contributed to national and international conversations on inclusive legal institutions and the rule of law.

She is particularly committed to bridging the gap between law, policy and practice, challenging systemic barriers to equality, and creating opportunities for greater participation and leadership of women and other underrepresented groups within justice institutions. Her work brings together research, evidence-based advocacy, stakeholder engagement and innovative collaborative initiatives aimed at fostering meaningful and sustainable institutional change and visibility for women in law.

She holds an LL.B (Hons) and an LL.M in Law and Development from the University of London and was the first Pakistani recipient of the 2021 Justitia Award in Vienna, recognising her contributions in academia and towards advancing women in law. Nida was also amongst the list of 100 women from global south featured in Femilist 100 by Gender Security Project in 2021. She was also awarded the ‘Certificate of Recognition’ by the honourable Governor of Punjab, Mr. Baligh ur Rehman for her contributions to fair representation, law and policy inputs for women and child rights legislation at the 75th Independence Day celebrations at the Governor House, Punjab. In 2023, Nida won the ‘Leadership Award for Women’s Rights and Activism’ in Sri Lanka as part of Top 50 Global Women Awards.

Areas of expertise

• Gender justice in law
• Workplace harassment law
• Women’s representation in the justice sector
• Legal education and policy advocacy
• Diversity and inclusion

Key achievements

1. Curated Pakistan's first National Women in Law Awards in collaboration with the federal ministry of law and justice and other partners, in 2021. 2. Built the largest community of female legal professionals within Pakistan with seven chapters across all provinces and in Gilgit-Baltistan and in AJK. 3. Put Pakistani female legal professionals on regional and international map through her work and recognition. 4. Served on the global Justitia Awards Jury in Vienna. 5. Curated the 100 years Photo Exhibition of Women in Law presenting over 200 profiles and history of women's struggle for right to practice law in the subcontinent. This exhibition was held in Alhamra in 2024 and was later showcased at the Federal Judicial Academy in Islamabad and two public sector universities in Lahore. 6. Mainstreaming conversation on gender justice and fair representation of women in law. 7. Spoken at international conferences and webinars including in LSE, UK, Poland, Thailand, UAE, Turkey, Austria and Sri Lanka, amongst others. 8. Got Pakistan Bar Council to reconstitute the (now defunct) journalists defence committee after getting female lawyers included on the panel as part of the committee. 9. Got separate entry and exit gates for women lawyers to vote in bar elections at the high court in the year 2023. 10. Invited as a subject expert by the senate standing committee on human rights for amendments to the workplace harassment act in 2022. Majority of her recommendations made it into law including the recommendations on committee's able to adopt child sensitive procedures where minors were involved, parents or guardians as complainants in case of minors, former employees covered expressly, suspension of professional license as a major penalty and amendments to the definition of harassment including gender based discrimination.

International experience

Asia · Europe

Nida Usman Chaudhary has extensive international engagement as a speaker, researcher, author and gender equality advocate, contributing to global conversations on women's rights, justice sector reform, diversity and inclusion, and the rule of law. She has been invited to speak at prestigious international conferences, academic institutions and forums, including the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), UK; International Women in Law Conferences in Vienna, Austria (2022 and 2025); UN South Asia Forum on Business and Human Rights (2021); Women in Times of War – The Role of Women Lawyers, Poland (2022); and the Annual Conference of Advocates for International Development, UK (2023). She also addressed the International Federation of Women in Legal Careers conference in İzmir, Türkiye (2026). Her international experience extends to research, publications, collaborations and policy engagement with organisations and networks across Europe, Asia and beyond. Her academic work on international investment law has appeared in the Journal of World Investment & Trade, while her research on women's rights and legal protections has been published internationally, including in Vienna, Austria. Through Women in Law Initiative Pakistan, she has fostered cross-border collaborations and professional exchanges with international legal networks, academic institutions and development organisations, including initiatives supported by the United Nations, British and Australian High Commissions, and the United States Institute of Peace. A recipient of the Justitia Award (Vienna, 2021) and recognised among the Global Top 50 Women in Sri Lanka (2023), she has also served as a member of the international jury for the Justitia Awards since 2022, contributing to the recognition and advancement of women legal professionals worldwide. Her international engagements reflect a sustained commitment to connecting local advocacy with global legal discourse, promoting knowledge exchange, strengthening transnational networks and advancing gender-responsive justice systems.

Engagement interests

Speaker · Panelist · TV / Radio · Podcast · Mentor · Training

Profiles reflect information provided for the directory. All engagements and arrangements are subject to individual confirmation. Private contact details are not published. For an engagement enquiry, contact Balance 360.