5th International Women Lawyers Conference 2026 

The International Women Lawyers Conference (IWLC) 2026 brought together women legal professionals, advocates, in-house counsel, and policymakers from across the Asia-Pacific and beyond for a day of bold conversation, regional connection, and collective challenge. The IWLC 2026 was anchored by a single, urgent conviction: that women are no longer asking for permission. We are claiming space with purpose.

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Across six plenaries and a keynote address, participants explored what it means to lead on their own terms; to harness emerging technology without losing integrity; to communicate across difference; to build careers and businesses with discipline and vision; and to sustain themselves through it all. The conference drew on voices from Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Australia, Nigeria, and the United States, reflecting the cross-border, collaborative spirit that defines AWL's WLCs.

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The conference was formally opened by three addresses, setting the tone for a day grounded in leadership, legacy, and the urgent case for women to shape the future of law.

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• Welcome Address by Jasmine Wong Kah Man (President, AWL)

• Special Address by Dato' Mary Lim Thiam Suan (President  of AIAC Court of Arbitration) 

• Opening Address by Anand Raj (Vice President, Malaysian Bar)

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Keynote | The conference opened with a keynote by Dr Jasmine Begum, Senior Legal Counsel and Regional Director for Government Affairs and Public Policy at Microsoft ASEAN, and Chairperson of MIMOS Berhad. Speaking to the theme of female leadership in law, Dr Begum reflected on the power of visibility, the urgency of inclusion, and the Asia-Pacific's unique opportunity to centre diverse voices across sectors and borders. Her address was a call to action for women lawyers to lead boldly, shape policy, build movements, and claim space in legal systems that are ready for transformation. She made the audience laugh, cry and sigh and left them inspired and with a greater understanding of what women can do if there is no limit. She emphasised the importance of sponsorship - that women should always invite other women to take a seat at the table.

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Plenary 1 | Boldness and Becoming addressed the question of what equity looks like in the contemporary workspace and how women lawyers can achieve it. From structural barriers to inner critics, speakers Hanie Razaif-Bohlender of Dragonfire Corporate Solutions and Namrata Shah of Rashmikant and Partners in Mumbai explored what must be addressed and overcome to create more equitable and inclusive opportunities for economic, professional, and personal growth. The session challenged participants to move beyond outdated patriarchal models of success and to understand what a female-centred workplace could genuinely look like.

 

Plenary 2 | About Us. For Us. By Us. examined who holds power in the legal profession and who continues to be excluded, particularly from policy discussions affecting specific communities. With a regional lens, speakers Dato' Shyamala Alagendra, an international criminal lawyer with 26 years of experience across tribunals including the ICC, and Wita Krisanti, Executive Director of the Indonesia Business Coalition for Women Empowerment, explored leadership representation, women-led movements, refugee voices, and grassroots struggles for justice. The session asked whether our legal systems truly reflect the people they serve, and what inclusive leadership should look like in practice.

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Plenary 3 | Lawyers in the Age of AI confronted the opportunities and tensions that artificial intelligence presents for women in law. Speakers Terri Mottershead, Director of Digital Enablement at Ashurst Advance in Australia, and Kirthi Jayakumar, founder of Civitatem Resolutions in India, addressed how women can harness AI as a strategic tool for career growth while also building expertise in AI governance. The session did not shy away from the harder questions, including algorithmic harm in gender-based violence cases and the well-documented gender biases embedded in AI systems.

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Plenary 4 | Communicating for Inclusion explored what intersectionality means in practice and how to foster environments that recognise each individual's unique and overlapping challenges. Ng Lai Thin, Project Lead at the National Early Childhood Intervention Council and a disability-inclusion advocate, offered practical insights on cultivating empathy, respecting diverse experiences, and building inclusive spaces through thoughtful and mindful communication. The session asked participants to consider how to move beyond paternalistic attitudes that block access to power.

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Plenary 5 | Let's Look Inside You offered a moment of honest reflection amidst a day of outward-facing challenge. Lee San San of Deep Listening Enterprise invited participants to turn the lens inward: to consider where they are in their personal and professional journeys, what their physical and mental health looks like, and how to move forward with both grace and grit. It was a reminder that sustainable leadership begins from within.

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Plenary 6 | Operationalising Success brought the day to a close with real talk on money, marketing, and momentum. Speakers Sitpah Selvaratnam, an Independent Arbitrator with over three decades in practice in Malaysia; Habiba Balogun, an organisation effectiveness consultant and executive coach from Nigeria; and Jiamie Chen, an attorney and entrepreneur from the United States, explored how to price your worth, build a bold personal brand, attract and retain clients, and develop the resilient, success-driven mindset that sustains a career over the long term. The session reframed leadership as a business strategy, and reminded participants that success does not happen by accident.

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The conference closed with a reflection by AWL Vice President Denise Lim, inviting participants to move from inspiration to intention, and from intention to impact. The 5th IWLC was not an ending. It was the beginning of a shared commitment to reshape the legal world, together.

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Keynote and featured speakers included: Dr Jasmine Begum (Microsoft ASEAN and MIMOS Berhad, Malaysia), Hanie Razaif-Bohlender (Dragonfire Corporate Solutions, Malaysia), Namrata Shah (Rashmikant and Partners, India), Dato' Shyamala Alagendra (international criminal lawyer, Malaysia), Wita Krisanti (Indonesia Business Coalition for Women Empowerment, Indonesia), Terri Mottershead (Ashurst Advance, Australia), Kirthi Jayakumar (Civitatem Resolutions, India), Ng Lai Thin (National Early Childhood Intervention Council, Malaysia), Lee San San (Deep Listening Enterprise, Malaysia), Sitpah Selvaratnam (Independent Arbitrator, Malaysia), Habiba Balogun (Organisation Effectiveness Consultant, Nigeria), and Jiamie Chen (Attorney and Entrepreneur, USA).