Marie Claire Amazing Women 2017

Marie Claire’s very DNA lies in celebrating women. Focused, fearless and brilliant, the ten Amazons of substance and style we’ve selected this year embody the qualities we admire and champion.

- Foong Limei

DEEPA NAMBIAR, Asylum Access Malaysia Director

A lawyer walked into the Islamic Arts Museum with a refugee, and walked out a changed person.

Deepa Nambiar, founding director of Asylum Access Malaysia, recalls her life-defining encounter with a refugee from Iraq in 2010. A corporate litigator at that time, Deepa was volunteering for NGOs on the side when she met the single mother through a local refugee mentorship programme.

“I [meant to] show her around and support her if she needed help. But she ended up mentoring me! She was my tour guide at the Islamic Arts Museum — her knowledge and beautiful interpretation of Islamic arts, culture and religion completely blew me away. She taught me so much and made me realise that deep down, we all want the same things: a sense of dignity in our lives,” says the 33-year-old.

Deepa was awed with how hard the displaced woman worked, despite not having a legal status, to feed her children, mother and sick sister. The refugee fret about the sub-par education her kids were getting and the safety of her family still in their war-torn home country, but she remained gracious and loving. Visiting her family always left Deepa well-fed and inspired. “While working on human rights projects with the Bar Council and NGOs, I knew that what I was really passionate about was human rights issues. And after I met the Iraqi woman, there was really no turning back!” shares the spirited lawyer.