Testimonials
Listen to the story of alumna Naledi Kekana, who now works as a WWS Senior Programme Specialist at Women Win.
Lilja Kanerva works as Young Innovators Host at Utrecht University
In this video, Lilja shares her experiences with the Master Gender Studies and gives us a glimpse of her work as Young Innovators Host at Utrecht University.
Frankie Johnson works as Programme Development Lead for the Fatherhood Institute in the UK
"Following my History undergraduate I began working for the UK Government, but soon realised I wanted to return to university. I had always been interested in issues of social justice and understandings of gender, cultivated through reading Black feminist scholars' work and attending relevant talks and events. I took two university evening courses (one on representations of race and gender in popular culture, and the other on feminism and sexuality) before deciding to commit to an MA in gender studies. Utrecht University appealed to me thanks to the practical nature of the course, combining an internship with theoretical studies, as well as its excellent reputation."
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"Although the NOISE summer school unfortunately took place online due to covid-19, I still thought it was a stimulating start to the course - introducing us to scholarship on borders, boundaries, and the politics of belonging by looking at the intersection of feminist cartographies, digital media, and affect theories.
The MA programme was varied, with interdisciplinarity at its core: I chose modules covering postcolonial transitions and somatechnics (how technologies of power affect subjectivity) alongside the core elements of the course, all of which prompted me to critically reassess my own positionality and initiated an ongoing journey of (un)learning. I welcomed being challenged by the readings, appreciated the thought-provoking lectures, and was grateful for the supportive space of the seminars for working through new ways of thinking.
I completed my internship at Emancipator, independently delivering a research project on outreach with fathers. This then developed into my thesis addressing the intergenerational transmission of fatherhood norms amongst Dutch fathers, a mixed-methods study. Since graduating, I've been working as Programme Development Lead for the Fatherhood Institute, a UK-based research charity and think tank promoting involved fatherhood. My work covers communications, training delivery, and operations."
Eleni Stergiopoulou is Learn Specialist at Women Win
"At , we aim to equip adolescent girls to exercise their rights through sport. The organisation has 3 pillars: Learn, Strengthen and Impact. I work in the Learn Pillar and my tasks range from organising and taking care of logistics for workshops, facilitating workshops, being in charge of our Digital Storytelling Programme, managing content on our website, participating in projects to measure the impact of Learn’s work and a lot more, depending on the different projects that we have from time to time."
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"It is incredible to meet the young women we serve during workshops and to see how sport has indeed had a huge impact on their lives. It is also very interesting to meet all these people from so many different countries and backgrounds, with the common goal of empowering young women through sports.
Working in the field of development, one is very often likely to adopt approaches that are too ‘Western’ and stem from a privileged position without, however, acknowledging and being accountable for this position. There is the risk of becoming oblivious to cultural differences and imposing ignorant and disrespectful solutions that are based on a Western perspective of identifying ‘problems’. Thanks to my education in Gender Studies, I am confident that I can stay accountable for my position and adopt a more sensitive and respectful perspective. This adds value to my work and makes it easier for me to have a fruitful collaboration with people from different communities and cultural backgrounds."
Janina Pigaht is an independent filmmaker
“I had already finished another Master programme, but it was only in Gender Studies (formerly called Comparative Women’s Studies in Culture and Politics) in Utrecht that I found what I was looking for in my education: a programme that provides broad and sophisticated knowledge to think critically, scholars that encouraged me to think out of the box, and new insights that provoked me to become an active citizen."
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"During my studies in Utrecht I completed my first documentary Delfts Blauw meets Hijab (2010), about Dutch Women who have converted to Islam. It screened at SCENECS International Debut Filmfestival and aired on Dutch Television in 2012.
After my studies I worked as a Programme Coordinator at the Centre for the Humanities of Utrecht University. During that period I also completed my second film The Diaries of an Elephant (2012), about the SS past of my grandfather. It premiered at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam and won the Best Newcomer Award at the Annual Dutch Film Festival in 2013.
Academia still remains a great source of inspiration for . I am currently working on a new project in affiliation with the Utrecht Gender Studies programme and still keep a close relationship to the Centre for the Humanities as their artist in residence."
Watch on The Diaries of an Elephant (in Dutch).