Rukshana Kapali

Despite Nepal’s reputation as a beacon of LGBTQIA+ rights in South Asia, activists are still pushing for greater protections for its transgender community—and Rukshana Kapali is leading the charge. A fourth-year law student and a transgender woman from the Newa Indigenous nation, Kapali has filed more than 50 cases against the Nepalese government since 2021 pushing for changes in policy. Of the 20 lawsuits she filed at the Supreme Court, only one so far has reached a verdict, but it’s a meaningful first victory: a November ruling narrowly granted her full legal recognition as a woman. While other transgender people will have to similarly petition for gender recognition, Kapali’s court win sets a legal precedent that may assist their cases. She believes her work is just beginning: “Suing them and holding them accountable in the court of law is also saying that we are not stoppable and we’ll keep on fighting.”