Hey GPPS! We hope you're staying warm as the days are getting colder and darker (we miss the sun).
There is A LOT!!! happening on campus this week - check out our events listed below to save the dates. If you're interested in running for the executive board for any of the gender groups, three have information sessions this week.
Defintely also check out our spolight below on your fellow GPPS student, Christina, and her featured op-eds on the importance of investing in gender equality, and on why climate action must focus on women's health.
No newsletter next week due to Thanksgiving Break -- see you the 28th!
GPPS Student Spotlight: Christina Chilimba
Christina is a first-year HRHP/GPPS student from Malawi with background expierence in civil society organizations and as a former fellow with Garça Machel's Youth Mentorship Program.
She is also the founder of a youth-led non-governmental organization called All for Youth, that trains young leaders in her home country (40 and counting!)
In a conversation between about her work, Christina explained that she feels that the biggest challenge to inacting gender policy is a lack of funding, and that the speed of its implementation does not proportionately correlate with the gender committments nations have made on the world stage. She emphasized the need for more gender specialists in government positions, in order for budget allocation and policy implementation to be gender sensitive.
She highly encourages students doing gender work to network with each other, in order to build a platform of support for gender mainstreaming that extends beyond SIPA, especially as this field evolves. She also advises students who are presently looking for opportunities to speak or write on these topics to join leadership programs in order to find connections and mentor that can get you there. Most importantly, she says, is to always keep trying, even if at first the door slams in your face!
We hope you take the time to read Christina's op-eds, and you can connect with her on LinkedIn here!
