Dr. Lipika
Sharma, Freelance Consultant UN Women, Founder & Director - VidAikyam
Foundation
Dr.
Lipika Sharma is an Indian lawyer and academic with 23 years plus experience in
legal writing, analysis, consulting, project management litigation, teaching,
and training, combined with a research degree in law. Her expertise is in
gender justice, women's empowerment, sustainable development goals, climate
change, disaster management, and resilience. As an experienced communicator,
she has taught at prestigious universities in the capacities of Associate
Professor and Associate Dean. With her exceptional communication skills, she
conducts workshops and training sessions on topics like the prevention of
sexual harassment (POSH) in the
workplace, gender sensitization, equality, and justice for corporations, joint
ventures, and universities etc. and has trained more than 10 thousand people.
She has pursued her passion for the law and ventured into legal publishing,
showcasing her versatility and determination to explore new horizons as a
Managing Editor-Legal (Asia-Pacific Region) for Wolters Kluwer's Australia, the
largest Australian legal publisher, and was responsible for overseeing legal
writing and knowledge transfer. She gives consultancy and legal advice and
publishes with esteemed UN bodies such as UN Women, UNDRR, UNDP, IFRC,
international consultancies, and others on topics such as SDGs, climate change,
women's empowerment, and gender inclusion and works in the focused area of
disaster and climate. She was also a legal advisor with the Central Council for
Indian Medicines, a statutory body, under the Ministry of AYUSH, Government of
India. With her passion and calling to give back to society, she founded the
VidAikyam Foundation, a non-profit company in India focused on gender justice,
women empowerment, disaster management and resilience, and climate change to
spread awareness, knowledge, capacity building, and skill development globally.
Educational qualifications for the better well-being
of mankind
The
impressive academic background of Dr. Lipika Sharma is a true inspiration to
all. Through her dedication and hard work, the individual has established
herself as a true expert in the field. Her accomplishments serve as a reminder
that, with perseverance and a thirst for knowledge, anyone can achieve
excellence.
Her
achievements include a Doctorate (PhD) in Climate Change Law as well as an
earned LL.M. degree with distinction and a first division from Guru Gobind
Singh Indraprastha University, Delhi, and a Specialisation in Intellectual
Property Rights Laws. Additionally, she has a Bachelor of Laws from the Campus
Law Centre, University of Delhi, and a Master in Arts in Political Science,
where she was awarded the college topper title and ranked 2nd at the
University of Delhi.
Her
desire for knowledge and to develop expertise is evident through her completion
of various short courses, including a certificate course on the prevention of Sexual Exploitation
and Abuse (PSEA) from UNICEF, and a 30-hour online certificate
course on 'Understanding
Gender, Inequality, Intersectionality, Social Action: Feminist Perspective', from
Himachal Pradesh University,a Certificate courses from the World Bank
Institute's web-based learning program in association with the National
Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM), Ministry of Home Affairs, Government
of India in 'Comprehensive
Disaster Risk Management Framework, ‘Gender Aspects of Disaster Recovery and
Reconstruction, Certificate courses on 'Introduction to Sustainable Development in Asia and the
Pacific', and 'Green
Investments: Renewable Energy', from Asian Development Bank
Institute along with a certificate in 'Gender Data 101'.
Further,
she holds a one-year Online Diploma in Environmental Law from Indira Gandhi
Open National University (IGNOU) in collaboration with the World-Wide Fund
(WWF), New Delhi, with an A+ grade, a one-year Diploma in Corporate Law and
Management from the Indian Law Institute, Delhi, a one-year Diploma in
Journalism from Y.M.C.A, Delhi and a certificate course in Intellectual
Property Rights from Indian Law Institute, Delhi with an A+ grade.
Professional Journey of Dr. Lipika with UN
Bodies
She
is a trailblazing professional who has dedicated her career to making a
positive impact on the world. She is an accomplished professional with a
well-rounded career path and a proven track record of delivering results. From
her work in litigation and legal publication to teaching law and providing
legal advice to esteemed international bodies such as the United Nations, the
Red Cross, and international consultancies, she has seen all the dynamics of
the profession. Her contributions to the cause of women's empowerment and
gender inclusion are significant, and her reports are featured on the official
website of UN bodies. She is an exceptional woman and has accomplished so much
in her career as a Law professor, making a significant impact by partnering with
various NGOs and contributing to UNFCCC climate deliberations, giving voice to
women. Her partnerships with international organisations recognised by
UNFCCC—the Women and Gender Constituency (WGC)—and GenderCC, a German NGO
focused on women's empowerment and gender justice in the climate change
convention framework, are truly inspiring. She has authored 4 books, 5
chapters, and over 65 articles on a wide range of topics, including women's
rights, environmental law, the judiciary, transgender, tribal rights, climate
change etc., in international and national journals of repute. Her commitment
to empowering women and promoting gender inclusion is unmatched. Her vision is
to create sustainable solutions that will have a positive impact on communities
and the environment, with a special focus on women's empowerment. Her recent
publication, 'Scoping Study on the Use of CEDAW General Recommendation No. 37
on Gender-Related Dimensions of Disaster Risk Reduction in a Changing Climate'
was published by the UN on October 19, 2023. https://www.undrr.org/publication/scoping-study-use-cedawgeneral-recommendation-no-37-gender-related-dimensions-disaster
She provided legal consultation to support an IFRC project in
2023 that aimed to map the disaster laws and public health emergency
regulations in the ASEAN region. She undertook case study research for UN Women
in 2022 for the Commission on Status of Women66. Background Paper: “Empowering
Women in Climate, Environment, and Disaster Risk Governance: from National
Policy to Local Action” The focus of her research was a case study on gender in
eco-system-based adaptation and local governance. https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/Headquarters/Attachments/Sections/CSW/66/EGM/Background%20P
apers/Mary%20PICARD_CSW66%20Background%20Paper.pdf.
She has provided pro bono advice to the UNDP and IFRC for their
global synthesis report on effective laws and regulations for disaster risk
reduction.
https://disasterlaw.ifrc.org/sites/default/files/media/disaster_law/2021-02/India-Punjab-Desk-Survey.pdf
Awards and achievements of Dr. Lipika
Sharma
She
is the only Indian on the Expert Global Register of Women's Resilience to
Disasters (WRD) Knowledge Hub, created by UN Women with only 67 experts in the area
of Gender, disaster and climate. https://wrd.unwomen.org/engage/experts/lipika-sharma
Being
on Expert Global Register is a testament to her expertise and hard work in the
field. She stands among the 100 women leaders from across the globe, appointed
as the G100-India Chair for the Sustainable Development Goals Wing. G100
includes luminaries of eminence and excellence, including Nobel Laureates,
Heads of States, Ministers, Businesswomen, Philanthropists, Investors,
Entrepreneurs, CEOs, Corporate and Community Leaders, represent a powerful
group of women leaders and achievers. Her appointment is an acknowledgement of
her vision, leadership, and unwavering commitment to building a better future
for all.
Her
contributions to the cause of women and society have been recognised and
awarded on several occasions, including being acknowledged as a Rising Star of
Bharat by MENTORx and awarded the Noble Citizen title in women empowerment
category in 2023. As President of India-Western Australia Business Council,
WICCI, 2023-2024 and recipient of the UAE-INDO Best Woman Barrister Award 2023,
Exceptional Women of Excellence by Women Economic Forum 2022, Indo Asian
Teaching Excellence Award 2021, in Climate Change and Environmental Law
category, and “Best Women Educator in Innovative Law Teaching” at the National
Education Excellence Award 2017, in association with the United Nations Global
Compact.
Dr. Lipika talks about women's empowerment
and socio-environmental changes
Dr.
Sharma's proficiency in the field of women's empowerment and gender inclusion,
specifically in the context of disaster management and climate change, presents
a complex and challenging area of work. So far, issues related to gender and
women have not been given enough priority and attention in this realm. As an expert
with UN Women working closely with international NGOs and participating in the
climate conferences including COP28, she strongly believes that despite women
being the most affected by climate change and natural disasters, their needs
and experiences are often overlooked. She finds it unacceptable that, despite
women being the main stakeholders in disaster and climate impacts, gender and
women issues have not yet taken centre stage. She firmly believes that
globally, the official text must recognise the importance of women's
experiences while framing policies, strategies, and laws on disaster and
climate. As a result, decision-makers must proactively prioritize women's
perspectives. She thinks sexual harassment of women at work place is another
stumbling block that needs to be urgently addressed. Despite the mandate of the
law to train and sensitise employees on the law and consequences of violations
to ensure a gender-just work environment, it's disappointing to note that
compliance is lacking and no strict action is taken against violators. Dr.
Sharma is working tirelessly to raise awareness of these issues and create a
more inclusive and responsive policy framework. In addition to these systemic
challenges, sexual harassment of women is an urgent problem that cannot be
ignored.
Research and publications of advocate
Lipika
Her
core areas of research are gender inclusion, equity and justice, women
empowerment, environment, sustainability, sustainable development, sustainable
development goals, disaster, disaster management, disaster risk resilience,
climate change, just transition law, advocacy, and policy formation. Her PhD is
on ‘Traditional knowledge as a tool to mitigate climate change: Need for the
Legal Framework'. She has edited and authored books on ‘Geographical Indications in India:
Law and Procedure, Lambert Academic Publishing, Germany, ‘EBOOK for All India
Reporter (AIR) on “Environment Law’, “Green Intellectual Property
and Climate Change Mitigation Technologies’ and ,'Intellectual Property Rights in Economic Growth:
Prospects and Challenges. Chapters published are Women Empowerment and
Gender equality: Indian Scenario” Role of judiciary in Law and Social Change’
in Weser Books German Publication forward by former Chief Justice of India,
Justice Mishra, ‘Gender Justice and Land Rights in Tribal India: A Critical Analysis’,
edited by NLU, Assam VC, ‘Right to Life is Synonym with Right to Healthy
Environment: National and International Perspective’, ‘Climate Change Impact on
Biodiversity: Adaptation and Mitigation Through Green, “Geographical
Indications: An Economic Engine to India’s Economic Growth’, to mention a few
out of 65 publications.
Dr. Lipika, a pro-bono lawyer
She
has been working at the grassroots for community outreach in many ways and is
associated with various international and National NGOs. She has worked pro
bono with UNDP-IFRC and was among 2 lawyers chosen from India for the Global
Synthesis Report on Disaster Laws, and she has given them legal advice on
disaster laws in the State of Punjab. She is associated with the Women and
Gender Constituency (WGC), one of the nine stakeholder groups of the United
Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC),a global network of
organisations, experts, and activists working for gender equality, women's
rights, and climate justice. She is also an active member of GenderCC, a
Germany-based organisation working in the focus area of Women for Climate
Justice. She has been an active participant in the Conference of Parties (COP)
of the United Nations Conference on Climate Change to put forth her view on
women and gender issues.
As a university professor at various leading Universities, she headed pro bono legal aid clinics and mediation centres. She has led teams of young adults for pro bono work related to community outreach. During COVID-19 for POSH-related community outreach, she guided young adults to develop a short literature for common knowledge and skill development for society at large. Guided students to collect data related to awareness levels on the issue via online polls.
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