Nancy J. Newman, Founder and President
Nancy J. Newman is a partner at Hanson Bridgett LLP in San Francisco, where she specializes in real estate and commercial litigation. A lifelong advocate for justice, Nancy worked full-time for the United Farm Workers Union while still in high school. At age 17, she successfully organized the workers of Pizzaland Restaurant, in Dublin, Ireland, to obtain better wages and union representation – an event recounted in a song by Malvina Reynolds. She received her JD, Order of the Coif, from UC Davis School of Law at age 23. As an attorney, she worked with other women lawyers to promote gender equity through Queen’s Bench, a women’s bar association in the San Francisco Bay Area. As president of Queen’s Bench in 1996, she expanded its influence on legislative and policy initiatives, and collaborated with other bar, professional, and women’s organizations to strengthen the movement for equality in law and society. In 1997, Nancy joined the board of the National Conference of Women’s Bar Associations, becoming its president for 2001-2002, and promoting its engagement with women lawyers around the world. Since leading the NCWBA, Nancy has been speaking and networking on gender equity issues in the Unites States and abroad for over 20 years. In 2015, Nancy received the inaugural “Women Advancing the Law” practitioner award, presented by the Boalt Hall Women’s Association at UC Berkeley Law. Nancy’s leadership and commitment to equality is multi-generational, inspired by examples set by her mother and grandmothers, and rooted in a determination to leave a better world for her daughters.
Rebecca Hooley, Vice-President and Treasurer
Rebecca Hooley, is a graduate of Columbia Law School and is a deputy County Counsel for Contra Costa County. A dedicated advocate for women’s rights, she has been involved with Queen’s Bench for 10 years and was its president in 2012. Prior to her legal career, she lived in Central America and worked for a Guatemalan human rights organization. She joined the board of IANGEL to expand her work for gender equity to the national and international arena.
Jaime Touchstone, Secretary
Jaime Touchstone is an employment law attorney at Futterman Dupree Dodd Croley Maier LLP, focusing on litigation, advice and counsel for privately and publicly held businesses and individuals, including C-Suite executives. Jaime is actively involved in the local legal community. In addition to her service for IANGEL, she previously served on the steering committee for the Bar Association of San Francisco’s Women’s Impact Network – No Glass Ceiling 2.0. Jaime also previously served as President of the Queen’s Bench Bar Association in 2015, and the Queen’s Bench Foundation in 2016. From 2008 – 2019, Jaime was a regular contributor to the California Employment Law Letter, writing about topics including wrongful termination, overtime, meal and rest breaks, minimum wage, harassment, discrimination, and paid family leave. Jaime has been recognized by Northern California Super Lawyers every year since 2009. In December 2009, Jaime was named Barrister of the Year by the San Francisco Bar Association.
Natalia Urzola Gutiérrez, Director
Natalia is a Colombian lawyer, with over eight years of professional experience. In the public sector she worked as a law clerk for one of the Justices of one of the Supreme Courts of Colombia. In the private sector, she worked for the largest Colombian boutique firm specialized in environmental law. She holds a Bachelor of Laws LL.B from Universidad de Cartagena , Colombia, and an L.L.M from Universidad Externado de Colombia, Bogotá. She also holds an LL.M from UC Berkeley, where she earned the opportunity to serve as a Coblentz fellow with the Othering and Belonging Institute working with the research team during the 2020 Spring semester. Her dissertation provides an analysis on whether the recognition of rights of nature could serve as a path towards an effective environmental peacebuilding process in Colombia. She also served as a Legal Intern for IANGEL from 2020-2021, conducting research for the Girls’ Rights Project, which analyzes human rights issues related to the rights of girls in several countries from both a domestic and international perspective.
Kawser Amine, Director
Kawser Amine is the Founder and CEO of Women’s Solidarity for Peace and Leadership (WSPL) and the Amine Soccer Academy. As a young woman working with various leaders of women’s groups and peace activist groups at all levels of society, Kawser aims to promote and improve the participation of women in leadership roles in governance, politics, the peace process, and in sports. She is a former athlete with the Afghanistan Women’s National Soccer team, as well as a women’s rights activist, author, speaker and changemaker, and uses her experience and expertise to shed light on the plight of women in Afghanistan. Kawser’s advocacy work includes funding the Women’s Leadership Club/Women’s Soccer Club iAUAF, at the American University of Afghanistan. She worked as a leadership program assistant in the Office of the National Security Council of Afghanistan, as well as served as a political analyst for the secretary council of Afghanistan in the Office of the President ARG. She was also a Gender Program Adviser for the Ministry of Women’s Affairs. Born and raised in Kabul, Afghanistan, she earned her bachelor’s degree in general management with a specialization in international relations at the Indian School of Business Management in New Delhi, India. She also earned a High-Level Sports Philanthropy certificate from The George Washington University (GWU).
Mahwish Moazzam, Director
Mahwish is a legal scholar and an activist from Pakistan who is currently pursuing a Doctor of Juridical Science (J.S.D.) degree at UC Berkeley School of Law. Her doctoral research focuses on the comparative analysis of feminist legal theories. Specifically, she is investigating the challenges inherent in the legislative process and the implementation of pro-women laws, particularly those addressing gender-based harassment and violence in Pakistan. Mahwish holds an esteemed membership at the Berkeley Centre on Comparative Equality & Anti-Discrimination Law, reflecting her involvement in advancing equality and combating discrimination. She also earned an L.L.M. degree from the UC Berkeley School of Law, specializing in International Law. During her L.L.M. at Berkeley, she actively contributed to the scholarly community as an associate editor for the Berkeley Journal of Middle Eastern & Islamic Law. Furthermore, she volunteered her research skills for IANGEL’s Girls’ Right Project, which analyzes women’s rights issues, especially concerning the rights of girls in various countries, approaching the subject from both domestic and international standpoints. Prior to her studies at Berkeley, Mahwish obtained her Bachelor of Laws (L.L.B.) and Master of Political Science degrees in Pakistan, where she actively engaged in law teaching and research. Her teaching expertise encompasses Comparative Constitutional Law, Jurisprudence, and the Law of Torts. Her extensive scholarly output has delved into essential themes relating to human rights, with a specific focus on women’s rights and the fundamental principles underlying the rule of law.
Emily M. Charley, Director
Emily Charley is a partner at Hanson Bridgett LLP, where she has an active litigation practice as well as serves the firm’s Assistant General Counsel. In addition to being a litigator and proud mother, Emily contributes significant time to pro bono legal services in her community. She volunteers as a Court Appointed Judicial Advocate supporting foster youth, sits on the board of Matter of Trust (a non-profit linking surplus with needs, see matteroftrust.org), and serves as a Parks and Recreation Commissioner in Corte Madera. Emily joined the board of IANGEL after actively supporting IANGEL and its cause for several years.
Anupriya Ramraj, Director
Anupriya Ramraj is a Partner with PwC’s Cloud Group and a technology executive with over two decades of industry experience. Spearheading C-suite engagements with Fortune 500 giants, she tackles dynamic challenges like digitizing health services and pioneering the adoption of emerging technologies and Artificial Intelligence. With her past executive roles at Unisys, DXC and HPE, Anu has demonstrated her prowess in scaling and managing expansive global organizations. Anu holds a Master of Science in Computer Science from CSU, Chico, and has three US patents to her name. Recognized as a global top 100 influencer for hybrid cloud by Onalytica in 2021 and ranked among the top 25 digital transformation leaders by a consulting report in 2022, Anu is deeply committed to gender equity in technology. Her passion for empowering women in technology earned her the Cloud Girl Trailblazer Award in 2022. Notably, she partnered with her daughter to establish an organization aimed at promoting STEM skills globally.
Advisory Board Members
Stella Odife
(Chief Mrs.) Stella Odife joins the Advisory Board from Nigeria, where she is a barrister, handling corporate finance matters in between her extensive work to promote women’s rights. Stella has authored two books on gender equity issues in Nigeria, and co-founded the Women’s Organisation for Gender Issues (“WOGI”), a United Nations NGO in Lagos. WOGI teaches women in rural Nigeria how to start their own businesses and gain economic independence, educates women about their legal rights and providing free legal services and counseling, as well as bringing lawsuits in Nigeria to challenge discriminatory practices. Stella is a past Deputy Governor of the Anambra State in Nigeria, as well as a Chartered Mediator, a member of Federation of International Women Lawyers (FIDA), and currently a member of the Governing Council of International Institute of Leadership and Governance in Abuja, Nigeria. We are honored to have Stella’s intelligence, insight, and indefatigable energy to the cause of gender equity around the world. Stella previously served on IANGEL’s Board of Directors.
Dr. Riffat Hassan
Dr. Riffat Hassan is a Pakistani-American theologian and a leading Islamic feminist scholar of the Qur’an. An internationally acclaimed religious scholar and activist, she has taught generations of students about Islam and articulated a progressive understanding of the religion that influenced Muslims around the world. In February 1999, she founded The International Network for the Rights of Female Victims of Violence in Pakistan, which works against so-called honor killings. Her work after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks is credited with building bridges between the US and the Muslim world. Hassan’s career includes numerous publications, in which she applies her non-patriarchal interpretation of Islam. In 2019 Dr. Riffat Hassan was honored with IANGEL’s Amel Zenoune-Zouani Rights & Leadership Award for her decades of achievement as an internationally acclaimed scholar of the Qur’an, a pioneer of feminist theology in Islam, and a fearless advocate for the equal dignity of women.
Connie de la Vega
Connie de la Vega is a professor and academic director of International Programs and Dean’s Circle Scholar at the University of San Francisco School of Law. She writes extensively on international human rights law and participates in United Nations human rights meetings. She established the Frank C. Newman International Human Rights Law Clinic at USF and is one of the founding members of Human Rights Advocates. Professor de la Vega has written several important texts related to her work, has submitted amicus briefs detailing international law standards, and has been cited by the U.S. Supreme Court. She is the co–author of The American Legal System for Foreign Lawyers (Wolters Kluwer, 2011) and International Human Rights Law: An Introduction (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2007). Her latest publication, The Guide to International Human Rights and Criminal Law Procedures, offers practical approaches for advocates seeking remedies for rights violations. She believes that, “[w]e are all responsible for ensuring the protection of human rights and thus promoting peace.”
IANGEL HAS BOARD OPENINGS. Join us.
Do you have a passion for gender equality and justice? Do you seek an opportunity to use your skills to build a global network to defend the human rights of women and girls? Are you willing to donate time, ideas, and resources to promote gender justice globally? If you answered yes to the above, consider applying for a position on our board of directors.
The International Action Network for Gender Equity and Law (IANGEL) engages the power of law to promote gender equity locally, nationally, and globally, and is recruiting new members for our board of directors. We offer a unique and inspiring experience, leadership opportunities, working with women bar leaders and activists in a cutting-edge nonprofit women’s rights organization. While we are based in the San Francisco area, IANGEL has no borders; our mission is international. We are a working board, actively engaged in setting organizational strategy, developing projects and partnerships to advance our mission, as well as fundraising, communications, and events. We seek diverse candidates with energy and a commitment to using the power of law to promote gender equality around the world. Desired qualifications include experience in the legal or human rights field, bar or nonprofit leadership, or other work for women’s human rights. A flair for collaboration, networking, and fundraising is also helpful. Learn more about us at www.iangel.org and review our board member expectations here. To apply, send your resume and a cover letter to Joëlle Santos at joelle@iangel.org.
