Katharine Birbalsingh

ASK most people who know Her Honour Judge Kalyani Kaul KC, and they will tell you that she is scrupulously fair minded but will not put up with “nonsense, racism, misogyny or bullying”. In 2023, she won her bullying and negligence case against the Ministry of Justice. Even though the MoJ did not admit liability, it had to pay £50,000 in compensation to the judge.

The former criminal barrister sued the MoJ, the lord chancellor and the lord chief justice because she said she was bullied and mistreated by senior members of the judiciary. Kaul’s case meant that the MoJ was forced to create a policy on “expected behaviour”, and it made sure that every judge in the country undergoes proper diversity training. Weeks after the settlement, Kaul lost her appeal against an employment tribunal that she had been indirectly discriminated against, victimised and harassed. One unnamed judge said, “The judge agreed with another white man who said that Kaly didn’t suffer racism because it was preposterous that racism exists in the judiciary. Can you believe that two white men would dare lecture a brown woman about her lived experiences? But that’s the judiciary for you, blinkered and in denial about everything in the real world.” Kaul’s claim was that senior judges failed to support her when others bullied her after she raised complaints about “disrespectful, dis courteous, unprofessional, and rude” barristers who appeared before her in 2015 at Snares brook crown court in east London.

SHE IS known as ‘Polar Preet’ and is one of the most high-profile women officers the British Army has produced to date. For this soldier of south Asian origin, the thirst to break records is unquenchable and Antarctica happens to be the hunting ground for her exploits. Preet already holds two world records for Antarctic trekking, and last December she laid her claim on the third – the fastest woman to complete a solo South Pole ski expedition. She claims she covered 1,130km of Antarctic ice in 31 days, 13 hours and 19 minutes. However, the Guinness World Records team is yet to verify it.

Captain Chandi set off from the Hercules Inlet on the Ronne Ice Shelf on November 26 and arrived at the South Pole on December 28, by skiing for 12 to 13 hours a day on average and pulling a 75kg sled containing the essentials for her survival. Recalling her expedition in her blog, she said that in order to avoid pressure, she chose not to announce her latest expedition, and only a handful people knew. However, on the downside, supporting the trip became a problem. “I didn’t get enough funding to cover the expedition so once again used everything I had to get here. Raising funds is one of the toughest things when it comes to expeditions.”

RENOWNED for her advocacy for girls’ education and their rights, Malala Yousafzai continues to be an influential figure globally. Speaking at the 21st Nelson Mandela Annual Peace Lecture in Johannesburg, South Africa in December 2023, Malala drew the world’s attention to what she calls “gender apartheid” en forced by the Taliban rule in Afghanistan, denying girls and women the right to education and work in the name of religion. “South Africans fought for racial apartheid to berecognised and criminalised at the international level…But gender apartheid has not been explicitly codified yet,” the youngest No bel Prize laureate said, calling on governments to make gender apartheid a crime against humanity.

She even suggested that the United Nations should add and adapt language on gender apartheid to the new Crimes Against Humanity Treaty that it is currently drafting. Malala was only 15 years old when she was shot in the head by Taliban gunmen for daring to pursue an education in Swat Valley, Pakistan in October 2012. After recovering in the United Kingdom, she continued her fight for girls and founded the Malala Fund with her father, Ziauddin, in 2013. The charity is dedicated to “giving every girl an opportunity to achieve a future she chooses,” and its Education Champion Network sup ports the work of educators and advocates helping bolster girls’ secondary education around the world. At the age of 17, Malala became the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, which she shared with India’s Kailash Satyarthi in 2014.

THIS is a high-flying professional who wears a number of hats outside of her office and wields considerable power with it. Paramjit Kaur Matharu is a senior managing director at JP Morgan Chase Bank and heads tax operations across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA). Her role covers advisory service to lines of business, tax compliance filing and relationship management with Tax Authorities in these countries as well as advocacy and representation on trade industry bodies in these locations. With a stellar career spanning decades, she is a champion of tax strategies and is known for spearheading global initiatives.

Hailing from Kenya, she migrated to the UK in 1980, kick starting her journey with HM Revenue and Customs before making her mark at Price Waterhouse. She left Price Waterhouse in 1994 and after a brief stint at Nations bank, she joined JP Morgan in 1996 as UK VAT Manager. At JP Morgan, she ascended the ranks, leading VAT operations nationally, then across Eu rope, and finally on a global scale. She was pro moted to managing director in 2005. In between 2012 and 2020, she was the chair of the VAT working group at UK Finance. She finally became the head of Tax in EMEA in 2020. For over eight years, Matharu has chaired the VAT working group at UK Finance, advocating for industry interests. She represents the financial services sector in European tax matters and contributes to OECD discussions on consumption taxes. Beyond her professional endeavours and record of achievement, Matharu’s leadership extends to community initiatives as well. Known for advocating for Sikh interests, Matharu is a supporter of the Sikh community and has been serving on the Sikh Council UK.