Advisory Board Member

Bidya Ranjit

Dr. Bidya Ranjeet is Past President and Advisor of the Nepali Women’s Global Network, and is also the Executive Director of the center for Academic Programs at the University of Connecticut. She has worked at UCONN since 1986, beginning her career as a counselor in both the SSS and Upward Bound programs. Before coming to the University, Bidya was part of the Nepali educational system as a teacher at Vanasthali High School and also as a co-founder and principal of the IndreniSchool. While Bidya specializes in facilitating the enrollment, retention, and degree completion of underrepresented students from post-secondary institutions, she maintains a steadfast commitment to social issues such as diversity and community. Through her volunteer and professional involvement, Bidya works to further the interests of underrepresented groups in her own community and throughout the world. She has been tireless in her advocating and assisting efforts on behalf of women in South Asia and of South Asian heritage through her involvement in Nepali Women’s Global Network and NNRN NCC USA. Bidya’s efforts extend to scholarly contributions as well; she is one of the first Nepali women living in America to shed light on issues confronting women of South Asian heritage including sensitive topics like domestic violence. Her academic work can most recently be found in her contributors to two anthologies, Body Evidence and Living our Religion

Avima Upreti, ESQ.

Avima Upreti is an attorney-at-law in New York and is also admitted to practice law in Nepal. She is currently working as an associate attorney at Chhetry and Associates P.C., New York. She is an activist, feminist and a passionate public speaker. She likes to advocate and speak in the issues of human Rights, gender justice and women empowerment. Ms. Upreti has continually advocated for human rights issues, particularly those affecting Nepali women and girls since her early days in her career starting from 2008. Whether it has been as a news anchor and legal correspondent for Avenues Television (national Television of Nepal) , or as a radio program presenter, or as a program officer of the Federation of Nepalese Journalist (FNJ), Upreti has always tried to raise awareness among Nepali citizens about their rights, raised women issues, issues of domestic violence, gender equality, gender justice, women empowerment and also highlighted about the role of governments and role of community organizations. She continually speaks inside the United States in many community events about the community role in eliminating gender based violence. She started her professional career as a news anchor and correspondent from 2009-2012 A.D. on Avenues Television, Nepal’s national TV, where she entailed researching and delivering watchdog works and storytelling across multiple platforms and issues such as Human Rights, Women Rights, Gender, and Legal Rights. Besides that she also has worked as a Radio consultant and presenter from 2011-2013A.D. for the radio program “HAMRO KANOON”,(Our Legal System) of Interface Nepal which was broadcasted in more than 32 radio stations throughout Nepal with a mission of raising awareness on the existing laws that support and defend the rights of all people and help create a just society.

Ms. Upreti completed her law degree from Purbanchal’s University Kathmandu School of law in Nepal in 2011 in a full merit-based scholarship, eventually receiving an award from the Nepal Bar council for getting the Second highest score all over Nepal on the Advocate license exam in 2012. She holds double LLM, one from Kathmandu School of law specializing in Human rights and Gender Justice in 2011-2013 and another LLM (Master of laws) from Fordham Law school specializing in International law and justice 2016-2017. She was awarded with merit based Scholarship while pursuing LLM in Fordham and grabbed a cum-laude. She was a vice-president of NWGN for 2016-2018. She is a legal advisor of a women committee of Non-Residential Nepali National Coordination council of USA (NRN-NCC-USA). You can reach her at avimaupreti@gmail.com