image: anup prakash

When she became treasurer in 2007, Sabita was not just the first woman to receive the post, but also any post higher than a member.

A few years before she started, a treasurer's post was a passive one. But things changed and Sabita has hardly any time to breathe between an increased number of activities and the constitution-drafting process. Recently, she was also made the commissioner of the newly created National Information Commission.

"I was lucky," says Sabita in characteristic modesty. She was born into a legal background and her father owned a law firm. When her parents had her, they decided that they wanted their daughter to become a lawyer, more than all their other four sons. When she finished school, she went straight off to law campus. "I never thought about anything else," she says. But through the years, Sabita has realised that even though support from those around her helped a lot, hard work was what pushed her through. "In the end, "she says, "You have to be willing to put everything into your work."

Most of the time, Sabita, who is a single parent with two grown children, finds that domestic commitments are a hindrance for women. She says: "It's more difficult for women to come at odd hours, take part in after-work bonding and maintain contacts, which are very important in a legal profession." She reasons that most women who have law degrees choose to join less challenging jobs in NGOs. Gender differences remain a large challenge: "We're still in a male dominated society, and most males find it difficult to trust women lawyers," she says.

Sabita feels that more women should join the legal profession. However, she says that one can't expect to earn much money as a lawyer and that one must be ready to handle a second job as a researcher or as a legal advisor. "Often," she says, "the satisfaction and social work is a large part of the return."

After more than 20 years as a lawyer, Sabita is still full of energy. She's started classes again. "I have one more role to fulfil," she says.

* Roma Aryal