Graduate /
'addressing violence against women' - Masters in Public Health PS [4]
One of the significant aspects of my trans-national, multi-cultural childhood was being able to witness the range of power structures between groups of people. These structures varied from classism, to racism, to linguistic and national superiority. However, a dominant force of oppression that I recognized across different communities and countries was the gross power imbalance between men and women. My academic and work experiences helped me further examine these power structures and solidify my realization that a social environment privileging certain bodies over others leads to a slew of aggressive behaviors. This realization formed the basis for my interest in gender-based violence research, advocacy and human rights.
In order to gain deeper practical experience after graduation in the different aspects of addressing violence against women, I joined XXX, the largest national level women's rights advocacy body in [country name]. The overarching focus of my work is to understand gender-based violence as a health issue and employ a life-cycle, multi-dimensional approach to effectively address this phenomenon. I have carried out extensive research and analysis of legislations pertaining to sex selection, domestic/intimate partner violence, dowry harassment and child marriage. This has enabled me to gain crucial experience in examining a law and its implementation status from multiple angles. An integral part of my work involves analyzing budgetary allocations at different governance levels, assessing entry points within the health care system for responding to women victims, and delineating the numerous socio-cultural factors contributing to violence against women.
Additionally, I served as the coordinator of a multi-stakeholder project funded by [main donor] and other international donor agencies that focused on sex-selection and domestic violence. I was actively involved in two significant aspects of formulating comprehensive social justice initiatives: research and advocacy. In this regard, I developed research tools to undertake base-line and end-line surveys, analyzed the data obtained, compiled the information into advocacy documents, and met with various governmental officials to advocate for effective implementation of women-friendly laws. Through my experience in two imperative, yet vastly different, components of working for a violence-free society, I have come to understand the integral role of research in strategizing and informing advocacy.
My undergraduate education in Biology/Psychology enabled me to develop a strong background in both the social and natural sciences. The diverse array of courses, along with my demanding internships, has provided me with a solid foundation in qualitative and quantitative analytical skills. I have been able to extensively utilize these critical thinking tools in my present job, especially with regards to analyzing various policies from a women-centric perspective and developing comprehensive, multi-sectoral approaches to addressing gender-based violence.
As a result of my academic, work, and life experiences, I have been able to witness and study how violence against women has become a public health crisis across the world. Though this fact is recognized by a number of human rights and medical communities, the scale of response remains dismally inadequate. This can be acutely seen in [country name], where, despite having some of the most progressive women-friendly laws in the region, there continues to be a gross lack in implementation and awareness generation within an overwhelmingly patriarchal social environment. Hence, I plan to focus my graduate education on women's health issues, with an emphasis on gender-based violence research and advocacy. My educational and internship background, combined with working for a non-profit, advocacy organization, has ensured that I am capable of both applied and fundamental research. It has also prepared me with the necessary documentation and organizational skills required for the rigor of graduate school.
The Masters in Public Health program offered by YYY University provides students with the necessary knowledge in both research methodology and the analysis of health policy, which are integral components to effectively advocate for better law implementation and development. This program is especially of interest to me because my long-term goal is to work for an institution focused on using advocacy strategies aimed at addressing gender-based violence as a health issue through action-oriented research. Additionally, I am looking forward to learning from the multi-cultural faculty and their diverse perspectives of handling public health issues. I also hope to bring in my own experiences and outlook to classroom discussions and debates.
After completing my Masters in Public Health, I plan to apply for a second Masters degree in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. I feel this would give me a holistic perspective in understanding my field of work and would adequately prepare me to continue contributing to the developmental sector, both in [country name] and globally.
