A University of Guelph master’s graduate has been named a 2012 “Global Changemaker” by the Ontario Council for International Co-operation (OCIC). Carley Robb-Jackson, who completed her master’s degree in sociology and international development, was honoured last week for empowering and making a difference in the lives of women and girls in their communities and around the globe.
Robb-Jackson is among five young women from across the province to receive the award, which is presented annually during International Development Week. As part of being named a global changemaker, the students share their stories and international experiences on the OCIC website.
“Seeing young women becoming increasingly aware of gender issues and women’s rights was an inspiration,” Robb-Jackson said of her experience in Tanzania working with a local organization that provides support services for individuals and communities affected by HIV/AIDS.
Robb-Jackson completed her master’s degree at the U of G in 2009. Her thesis examined women’s participation in reconciliation processes in Sierra Leone, Rwanda, and South Africa.
Since then she has worked with Canada’s International Development Research Centre in Ottawa, first with the women’s rights and citizenship program and currently with the governance, security and justice program. She also volunteers in a court watch program for the Ottawa Coalition To End Violence Against Women, gathering data to better understand the barriers to accessing justice faced by Canadian women.
This year Robb-Jackson will travel to Sierra Leone for five weeks to research women’s access to justice and the role of paralegal programmes.
Robb-Jackson says that in the developing countries she has visited women involved in grassroots activism have made a great impact on her. “To witness their dedication and perseverance inspires me in my gender equality work,” she said.