Ayesha Azad not only contributed to positive change for women in her homeland of Sri Lanka during her co-op placement, she also gained deeper insight into her dual identity as a Canadian and Sri Lankan.
Azad was born in Sri Lanka and spent her early childhood there before immigrating to Canada. “After moving here, my interest in international development grew stronger,” says the third-year student in the Specialist (Co-op) Program in International Development Studies at the University of Toronto Scarborough. “I wanted to know what contributes to notions of development and underdevelopment. During high school I led a student club on behalf of Free the Children, which gave me more insight into the field.”
As a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Scholar, Azad returned to Sri Lanka to work at the Women’s Development Centre in Kandy, a city with a rich culture that attracts many tourists. “My mandate was to increase female participation within the tourism industry, as women are heavily underrepresented in this booming industry due to cultural and familial restrictions,” she says. Her work at the centre was in partnership with World University Service Canada.
“My mandate was to increase female participation within the tourism industry, as women are heavily underrepresented in this booming industry due to cultural and familial restrictions,” says Azad.
Part of her role involved visiting the general managers of large hotels to forge partnerships and encourage them to hire more women. She also volunteered at the Women’s Development Centre’s shelter for children with disabilities, where she helped teach basic English.
“It was rewarding to have my first international development-related work experience in the country where I’m from, as I believe it provided me with a unique experience of getting to know Sri Lanka more,” says Azad. It also forced her to explore her own identity. “Many people in Sri Lanka did not consider me a Canadian as I was born in Sri Lanka, and some did not consider me Sri Lankan due to my Canadian identity,” she says. “Even though this was a challenge, it helped me learn to navigate these identities.” After graduation, Azad hopes to go back to Sri Lanka to work in the area of women’s rights.
The Canadian Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Scholarships (QES) is managed through a unique partnership of Universities Canada, the Rideau Hall Foundation (RHF), Community Foundations of Canada (CFC) and Canadian universities. This program is made possible with financial support from the Government of Canada, provincial governments and the private sector.