About CPCL & Our Fellows

CPCL (Countering Protectionist and Criminalized Legal Framework in Nepal around online sexual expression of women & Queer Individual (CPCL)Program)

Existing legal frameworks surrounding online violence, privacy, and freedom of expression have proven to be regressive and often guided by protectionist ideas towards certain communities. Such laws are ambiguous and further criminalize sexual expression, leading to self-censorship and control over individuals’ bodily autonomy. This Countering Protectionist and Criminalized Legal Framework in Nepal around online sexual expression of women & Queer Individual (CPCL)Program seeks to highlight these concerns, advocate for policy change, and question the regressive process of law-making. It also aims to address gaps in identifying people’s needs and ensure public engagement and interventions with the state system around online violence and digitization.

With broader policy advocacy at its core, the CPCL program will directly impact women and human rights defenders, lawyers, and feminist activists who will be actively engaged in program activities. Additionally, Body & Data’s core constituencies, including women, queer individuals, people with disabilities, female sex workers, and women’s rights activists, will be at the center of the interventions which will take form of legal and policy research, report and articles publication, online and offline campaigns, and strategic litigation, among others. The legal and judicial system will also be a core component of the advocacy projects, with individuals within the system being reached at different stages.

Why CPCL?

In Nepal, laws designed under the banner of protection often serve as tools of punishment. Under the guise of morality and safety, outdated legal frameworks are used to control how people, especially women and queer individuals, express themselves, connect with others, and take up space online. These laws do not safeguard; they surveil, censor, and reinforce existing hierarchies of power.

For communities that already face discrimination, such as queer individuals, sex workers, people with disabilities, and gender-diverse people, the digital space becomes a site of fear and surveillance instead of freedom and connection. This environment silences voices that need to be heard and pushes people into further marginalization.

CPCL emerged as a response to these urgent realities. It is more than a legal program. It is a political and cultural shift toward justice, inclusion, and freedom. By pushing back against criminalization and advocating for progressive, inclusive policies, CPCL envisions a digital and legal landscape where autonomy, expression, and safety are guaranteed for everyone.

The Body & Data Legal Fellowship

Launched in 2023, the Body & Data Legal Fellowship was the first initiative under the CPCL program. It was created in response to the increasing misuse of harmful laws to control the online expression of women, queer individuals, and other marginalized communities. The goal was clear: to build a network of young legal minds committed to justice, human rights, and freedom of expression.

The fellowship brought together 10 lawyers and advocates from diverse backgrounds, including feminists, queer individuals, people with disabilities, sex workers, and grassroots activists from across Nepal. Each participant carried their own lived experiences and worked towards understanding the grey areas and loopholes in policies and laws surrounding online sexual expression and digital rights. Over the course of seven months, the fellowship became a space for learning, reflection, solidarity, and collective imagination.

Together, the fellows unpacked the laws that silence people, especially those related to sexuality and digital rights. They engaged with experts, community and movement leaders who are actively shaping Nepal’s legal and social landscapes. The fellowship was not just about understanding the law, but about exploring how the law affects real lives and how it can be reimagined to be fairer, safer, and more inclusive.

From legal research to creative advocacy, the work produced by the fellows does not sit quietly on a shelf. It challenges norms, sparks conversations, and opens new possibilities to understand the realm of online sexual expression in Nepal.

Meet Our Fellows

Monisha Chaudhary

Monisha is a BA LLB undergraduate at Nepal Law Campus. They are interested in political philosophy, neoliberalism and social justice in particular. Drawing, painting, cooking, crocheting, knitting, playing the guitar, and just about anything they can do with their bare hands is one of their hobbies.

Dikshya Khadgi

Dikshya Khadgi (She/they) is a feminist legal practitioner and researcher. They are currently pursuing their LLM in Human Rights and Gender Justice. Previously, they have worked at Body & Data and the Samata Foundation. Dikshya is interested in studying and understanding the intersectionality of issues surrounding international relations, politics, caste, class, gender, sexuality, labour, queer rights and human rights. You can find her on Twitter @isthatdikshya.

Manju Giri

Manju Giri hails from Pokhara, with a background in humanities and a law degree from Prithvi Narayan campus. She’s currently preparing for her law license. Manju’s experience includes working as a census enumerator and interning at the Provincial assembly. She’s the joint treasurer of the LEO club of Pokhara Penguin, dedicated to developing youth leadership through social service involvement.

Her interests encompass reading novels, both in English and Nepali, along with engaging in conversations to hear diverse stories. Manju also enjoys coffee, knitting, and meaningful discussions.

Ajita Devkota:

Ajita Devkota, a passionate law student and disability rights advocate, envisions empowering women and girls economically and politically. She recognises the interconnectedness of these goals, aiming to enable them to represent their experiences at every policy-making level. Ajita’s achievements include being a national winner and global finalist from Nepal for Generation Unlimited Youth Challenge 3.0. Her projects span various areas, such as raising awareness about burn and acid attacks, providing inclusive and age-appropriate comprehensive sexuality education for children with disabilities, promoting women in technology, and advocating for equal and accessible job opportunities for individuals with disabilities.

With a zeal for gender equality, inclusion, disability rights, and equitable justice, Ajita dreams of creating a world where discrimination and prejudice have no place, and every individual is embraced for who they are. She welcomes connections with like-minded individuals who share her passion for effecting positive change through creative ideas.

Bhawana Ghimire

Bhawana Ghimire is a lawyer and advocate for feminism based in Kathmandu. She enjoys travelling, experimenting with various cuisines, and has a strong passion for movies.

Smriti Ranabhat

Smriti Ranabhat is a learner impassioned about current affairs and the development of a better self. Being passionate about reading and writing, her interests are oriented toward discovering a new world through words. She is also making her identity as a writer, researcher, content creator, and poet. She completed her bachelor’s degree, BALLB, from Nepal Law Campus and is now an advocate.

Deepa Adhikari

Deepa Adhikari, a resident of Pokhara, is a law graduate from Tribhuvan University. Her profound passion for literature and socio-economic disciplines knows no boundaries. She considers herself a conscious thinker, recognizing the innovative potential of socio-political dimensions in building a progressive society. Deepa is a visionary who strives to transform the good into better and better into the best through her work.

Samon G.C

Samon G.C is a proud and loud transgender male who completed his bachelor’s degree from Nepal Law Campus. He is passionate to explore, learn and speak about different trans-issues and challenges in Nepalese society. As a passionate learner he is constantly on the lookout for a few things to discover. He believes in embracing diversity and celebrate authenticity together.

Deepika Paswan

Deepika Paswan has pursued her B.A.LL. B degree in Kathmandu School of Law. She has been a part of the campaign like “Women Rights Start at Home” and conducted projects on Sexual and Reproductive Health, Child Marriage and Quality Education. She has been actively involved in the various legal literacy programs conducted by Kathmandu School of Law. She had successfully conducted an awareness campaign on Child Sexual Abuse with her team as a fellow through the Authentic Leadership Institute Nepal fellowship. She believes that the change starts from us and everyone is responsible for positive change in society. Being a youth, she believes that it is our responsibility to initiate the change we want to see.

Amrit Bishowkarma

Amrit Bishowkarma, a 8th-semester student pursuing a Bachelor’s degree (B.A.LLB) at Prithivi Narayan Campus in Pokhara, hails from Baglung. With a profound interest in legal research and digital rights, Amrit is dedicated to finding solutions and combating gender-based violence against women. Their involvement spans various personality development programs, addressing caste-based discrimination and advocating against violence towards women. Amrit holds the position of Central Member for Dalit Mukti Aviyan-Nepal, serves as the founding president of Dalit Students’ Union-Prithivi Narayan Campus, Pokhara, and also functions as the secretary of Nepal Dalit Mukti Aviyan in Gandaki Pradesh. Their primary focus revolves around fostering the personal development of the Dalit community and actively opposing caste discrimination within society. Amrit firmly believes that this role offers an immensely rewarding experience and an essential platform for promoting justice and equality for all.