South Africa LAWA Fellow 2005-2006 L.L.B., University of Cape Town Post-Graduate Diploma in Organization and Management, University of Cape Town L.L.M., Georgetown University Law Center Jan S. De Villiers Attorneys 18th Floor, 1 Thibault Square 1 Long Street Cape Town, 8001, South Africa Work Phone: +27-21-405-5117 Email: mushahida@jans.co.za

Profile:

Ms. Adhikari’s interest lies in the relationship between gender-based violence and the spread of HIV/AIDS among young women in South Africa. She has recently completed her LAWA fellowship internship at the National Asian Pacific Women’s Association (NAPWA) and has returned to South Africa.

Lawa Experience:

Ms. Adhikari’s graduate research paper, “The Role of International Human Rights in Enforcing South Africa’s Constitutional Obligations to Ensure Women’s Access to Women’s Reproductive Health Care,” examined Constitutional limitations on government obligations to provide for women’s health care and suggested strategies for improving legislation on the subject.

Other Work Experience:

Prior to the fellowship, Ms. Adhikari completed her clerkship with the Legal Resources Centre in Cape Town and later worked as an attorney in both the Pretoria and Johannesburg offices of the LRC, dealing with issues related to non-profit organizations, women’s rights, land reform and refugee rights. She has also been involved in various law reform processes relating to the development of legislation around the issue of trafficking of women and children in South Africa.