Jelena Gregorius | South America | Engaged | Ambitious
I am a highly ambitious and energetic young woman who aims at an international career in the field of development. My big passions are the topics South America, political participation, conflict management, and gender. Currently, I am a BBA student in Project Management with a specialisation in Communication & Media at the Windesheim Honours College in Zwolle, the Netherlands.
Although I’m still a student, I already had the possibility to be part in different intercultural projects. Right after my high school graduation, for instance, I worked as a volunteer for a women’s and children’s rights organisation in Bolivia. This year in South America considerably changed my perception of what it is like to live in a globalised world, but then on the other side of the coin that we in Europe are used to.
Ever since, my passion for gender topics is strengthened. Seeing with your own eyes how a small community somewhere on the Bolivian highlands changes only by empowering some of the women in that village is astonishing! There is no denying the fact that women are the backbone of most of the societies on this planet. They take care of the household, they bring up and educate the children, and often they also have to take care of, for instance, the fields in order to contribute to the family income. Empowering these people and letting them experience that gender equity is not only a dream but can be reality makes me indescribably happy. Especially, when men realise that empowering women does not necessarily mean threatening their position in society, but simply using all your potential instead of only 50 percent of it – that’s what makes me happy!
In order to reach more equity and participation for everyone on this planet, I’m of the opinion that people need access to well-functioning political institutions where they can claim their rights. Thus, topics such as transparency, accountability, democracy, and, by no means least, conflict management, are highly important to me. I simply love to see people fulfilling their dreams and hopes. That is what I want to do for a living! I want to manage or be part of projects that empower people to do what they love to do.
Among others, I was also part of the World Forum for Democracy in Strasbourg organised by the Council of Europe, the first Docus that matter event at Windesheim Honours College or the Sustainable Business Project by Windesheim Honours College in Uganda.
Jelena was part of the World Forum for Democracy project. See her resume here.