WASHINGTON – The ornate World Bank headquarters looked very different this week – crowded with arts and crafts being sold to help 34 women from developing countries go to graduate school to study gender equality issues.
The women, who enroll in graduate schools around the world thanks to the scholarships, are required to return to their home countries and apply what they learned to improve the well-being of women and children there.
The scholarships are funded by the Margaret McNamara Memorial Fund, named after the wife of the fifth World Bank President, Robert McNamara, which raises its money from the MMMF Annual International Arts and Crafts Fair, donations from World Bank staff and other contributions.
“After I earn my Ph.D., I hope to return to Jamaica,” said Jhodi-Ann Bowie, a counseling psychology student at Georgia State University, while walking among the crafts vendors on Tuesday. “I also would love to continue working with women who have been traumatized and children who experience sexual abuse, women who have experienced sexual assaults and domestic violence.”
Growing up in a coastal city in India, scholarship recipient Divya Karnad developed a deep connection with the fisherwomen. “I used to travel using public transport. If men tried something funny with me on the bus or whatever, I could always turn to the fisherwomen who are really aggressive and they would come to your rescue if you needed help on the bus.”
After Karnard completes her doctoral studies in fishery management at Rutgers University, she plans to return to India to work with the fishing community where women are excluded.