Bec Ordish has been working between Nepal and Australia for 25 years to transform the view that Nepal is 'a poor country that needs a lot of help' to one of hope and inspiration at the amazing people, culture, natural resources and endless possibilities. Bec runs a guest house in a village in Nepal and an organisation which works with Nepal'’s women and children. She has also published a book which features inspiring women from Nepal. Join this inspiring lecturer as she debunks a few of the myths that will certainly put Nepal on the map as a tourist destination.

Your Tutor is Bec Ordish

Bec Ordish commenced at the WEA in 2025.

Bec Ordish has worn and continues to wear many hats through which she explores her passions and purpose. Beginning life as a languages teacher in Australia then switching careers to work as an Intellectual Property Lawyer, first in international law firms in Sydney and Shanghai and then as in-house intellectual property counsel for some of the world’s favourite brands while based in Shanghai and Singapore. 

Passionate about passing on the lessons she had learned, Bec co-authored a book on intellectual property challenges and solutions for businesses working with China which was published by Wiley in 2008. She has taught several subjects at Kathmandu University School of Law, including intellectual property law and has worked with the pashmina, tea and coffee industries in Nepal to create, protect and market trade marks to develop their industries.

Alongside her legal career, Bec continued to explore her other passion – Nepal. First going to Nepal as a volunteer teacher between finishing her Bachelor of Laws and starting work, she spent 6 months in Nepal as a volunteer teacher. Establishing the Mitrataa Foundation as a result, she has spent the last 25 years supporting education and training initiatives for girls and women in Nepal. After making all the usual mistakes, Bec realised that the traditional aid model was crippling Nepal and disempowering the Nepali people, creating a dependency grounded in learned helplessness. She campaigns tirelessly to change the attitude – both of the Nepali people and of other countries, particularly in Australia – towards development. Alleviating poverty is the wrong lens. It puts people in developing countries in the position of dependency at the hands of the more developed country donors.

Bec has recently published a book called 50 Women From Nepal Who Will Change The Way You See The World.