SGP’s Employment & Peer Support Circle Blog

Reflecting on a Year of Growth: Insights from the Employment & Peer Support Circle

September, 2024

Salomi Christie & Violeta Colmán

In the dynamic field of gender and development, the Employment and Peer Support (E&PS) Circle within the Society for Gender Professionals (SGP) has become a vital space for connection and growth. To mark a year of co-leadership, Salomi Christie and Violeta Colman share their reflections and insights through an interview, embracing a feminist approach to introspection and dialogue. Here, they discuss their personal journeys, the impact of their work, and the transformative power of feminist principles in creating inclusive and supportive communities.

Where were you a year ago, and where are you now?

Salomi Christie (S.C.): A year ago, I was thinking quite deeply about my work and career since it was exactly ten years since I first started working ‘officially’ with an internship. Even thinking about that would send me into an existential musing because what do you count as ‘working’ when a lot of daily life involves work outside a job (unpaid or otherwise). I was also looking for what was next for me in this journey. Right now, I’m still asking these questions, and with every passing day, I have a more profound understanding of myself, my work, and how and why I work. This can also be partly attributed to my engagements with SGP.

Violeta Colmán (V.C.): So much has changed in the past year, both internally and externally! I was searching for a job and a sense of community, although I wasn’t aware of the latter at the time. Job hunting can be a challenging process, often feeling like you’re taking one step forward and two steps back (nailing that cover letter or getting an interview, only to hear nothing for weeks). That was the situation a year ago when I came across the opportunity to co-lead the SGP Employment and Peer Support (E&PS) Circle. I met some Secretariat members and later my co-lead, Salomi. Since then, we’ve formed our own little community within a larger one. Now, I’m working as an independent consultant and enjoy spending time with the people I’ve met through SGP.

It’s been a year since you became a co-lead at the E&PS Circle. How has this process been for you?

S.C.: So, while I was pondering on the important questions of life, I came across a post inviting folks to engage with SGP’s Employment & Peer Support Circle. I was curious, and so I attended the session. I remember asking a question at some point, and the more I thought about it, the more important an answer to it seemed. Then, there was the invitation to volunteer as a co-lead. I thought perhaps I would find the answer through volunteering. I signed up. Aparna (then Secretariat-at-Large, now Co-President of SGP) reached out to me, and the rest is history. And now that I think about it, for the life of me, I cannot remember the question I originally started with. But the whole embodied process of looking for an answer remains, and I suppose that’s what mattered most in the larger scheme of things now that I think about it a year later.

 

V.C.: The first word that comes to mind to describe this process is “healing.” One of the things I remember most is the frustration I felt with the career advice I found online. While well-intentioned, much of this advice didn’t take into account the challenges faced by those without the right passport or citizenship. Working in gender and development is difficult, especially for people from the Global South, because there’s no clear roadmap out there for our professional success. Additionally, workplace harassment and power abuse are common and can be especially detrimental for those whose livelihoods depend on their work visa. While the E&PS Circle can’t solve these systemic issues, it makes room for discussion and support with people who have experienced similar challenges. It was through sharing and listening that the healing process took place, with the feminist principles and resources of SGP providing a supportive structure.

How has the Circle and being part of SGP impacted you?

S.C.: Beginning with the Circle, I thought of it as a uniquely close and small space. I wasn’t too aware of the larger SGP community until I also registered as a member in order to volunteer as a Co-lead. And then once we started engaging with the community through our events, seeing 70-80+ people show up, put forward their career concerns, share opportunities, offer support in distressing times, I had to sit up and step back to acknowledge the impact of what we were doing through the Circle and even as SGP (once I started participating in other Circles as well such as the Gender & Climate Justice Circle or the Breaking Binaries Circle or later even the End Sexual Harassment Circle). Most importantly, though, I believe the interactions and co-working with my Co-lead, Violeta, and holding space for conversations as a triad along with Aparna impacted me the most. It was our collective honesty, integrity, and ability to hold space for our individual experiences within the group that supported my personal growth immensely.

 

V.C.: One of the things I really appreciate about SGP is how its organizational structure promotes feminist values. SGP takes bold political stances and actively works to include a diverse range of gender practitioners at all levels. I also appreciate their co-leadership model, which distributes power horizontally across the organization, which is quite radical. This model has a positive impact on the freedom we have in our Circles, allowing us to shape our own spaces and engage with Circle members and the public in diverse ways. It allows for creativity and exploration in our work. This experience gave me space to grow as a person and as a professional, and I attribute much of that growth to the kindness and support of SGP and the Circle.

What prompted you to volunteer to co-lead the SGP EPS Circle?

S.C.: At that point, I was looking for interesting projects to work on and to spend my days (and nights) thinking deeply and acting on it. This was the most interesting thing for me to do at that time because I had anyway been in a reflective mode about what the nonprofit sector has been like in India, what my experiences have been within it, the aloneness in navigating a space as an outsider, as a witness and in some ways victimized by the more cruel sides of the sector – encountering angels, demons and the in-betweens (humans?) equally on this journey and still carrying a general wonderment that things HAVE to be different at least in this sector that speaks of and carries voices against injustices of all kinds… So the reflection led to not only understanding what the work has been but rather how the work has happened, takes place, and what it ultimately does to the causes we support in the course of work… I felt that I would be able to address these many questions that were coming up for me through the programming for the SGP EPS Circle.

V.C.: I came across the call for co-leads shortly after joining the E&PS Circle, and I saw it as a great opportunity to collaborate, contribute my skills, and learn new things. I was particularly drawn to this opportunity because I had been following SGP for some time and admired both the organization and the work they do. I had no fixed expectations when I joined, but I was genuinely curious to see where this experience would take me. Looking back a year later, as I reflect on this celebratory exercise (this blog/interview you are reading), I find a lot to be happy about. With Salomi and the constant support from Aparna (from SGP’s Secretariat), we’ve accomplished a great deal, and most importantly, we’re sustaining an inclusive space for more people to join the Circle and share as much as they want or need to.

How has your experience with co-leadership been?

S.C.: It has honestly been very healing for me to meet more ‘angels’ on this side of my work after a long while. I have met truly incredible feminists who not only speak but also act as feminists – leading with kindness and care, constantly opening themselves up to new perspectives that may be different than their own, and most importantly, holding space for the multiple experiences that get discussed while designing programming for this Circle. Some of the most profound work has happened at the personal level when we, as a triad [Violeta, Aparna, and me], came together within the Circle to address our own past negative work experiences. It was, in fact, that small caring triad that solidified our efforts towards building the Peer Support aspect of our Circle activities more and more intentionally.

V.C.: Co-leading has been an incredibly rewarding experience for me. It has provided me with invaluable learning opportunities and a strong source of support. This is actually the first time I have taken on a co-leading role, and I am fully aware that there is still so much to learn. In the beginning, I struggled with being overly critical of my own work and setting hard-to-meet expectations for myself, but I was fortunate to receive support from my co-lead and the members of the SGP Secretariat. Their openness had a profound impact on me and transformed my approach. I truly believe that embracing kindness as a guiding principle is not only powerful but also deeply rooted in feminist values.

Do you remember your first impression of me or our first meeting where Aparna introduced us?

S.C.: Actually, no. But I do remember feeling at ease as we continued to work together. I believe that you can tell a lot about a person when you share in any kind of labor with them. The way we’ve been navigating roles and responsibilities with such deep respect towards each other and with such integrity and passion that continues to drive us to contribute consistently in – let’s face it – a completely voluntary role has been absolutely precious! I actually remember enjoying volunteer work as a child and young adult, and after so many years, I’ve truly gone back to thoroughly enjoying and engaging with volunteerism as a collective practice. And it’s all thanks to Violeta, Aparna, and the SGP community as a whole.

 

V.C.: I remember meeting Salomi for the first time during the E&PS Circle meeting in May 2023 before we applied to be co-leaders. I was impressed by her boldness and courage when she shared her thoughts about career planning and intersectionality in the chat during that peer support meeting. Her words resonated with me, and I immediately admired her for articulating something that I had been feeling but couldn’t express. As we continued to meet in the following months, I got to know her better and discovered her many admirable qualities. She consistently brought that same boldness to every Circle meeting and led the peer support sessions with charisma, care, and compassion.

What were some things we did as co-leads over the past year that brought you comfort and joy?

S.C.: So many things! Every time we’ve brainstormed on what to do next for the Circle, while still getting to know the SGP-sphere itself AND navigating employment and peer support needs of our own has been super special. I think that one time when we realized that both of us experienced a ton of discomfort from a supervisor in the course of work and how it was amazing that two very different people across oceans could go through the exact same experience of pain and hurt, while just trying to do their work, stays with me the most. I think it also went on help us discover our purpose as a Circle, when we realized that this is the kind of space we need to co-create for others like us – a space to talk about these and other experiences and to feel seen, heard, and validated in acknowledging that these were experiences of inequity and injustice WHILE working for equity and justice in the world. And, of course, I would always experience joy when we included our respective pets in our brainstorming sessions. The SGP EPS Circle is truly powered by some gorgeous furry friends!

V.C.: One memorable experience was co-creating a Spotify playlist with the Circle members. It was a fun way to bond and share joy, and it made for a great soundtrack for long walks to decompress! I also appreciated those “a-ha!” moments when I discovered new ideas or gained a different understanding through conversations —many of these moments happened during preparatory meetings or peer support exercises. I also found joy and comfort in the informal talks after finishing a task or a cycle, such as post-event discussions and reflections on our achievements.

What are some things you see us doing as co-leads in the coming year?

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S.C.: I think the first six months of engaging the Circle really led to conceptual breakthroughs, and we’ve come up with a solid approach to continuing with the Circle’s creative objectives. I really look forward to this and more blogs coming out from our Circle – we have so many collective experiences and much wisdom to share with the world! I also look forward to exploring the Peer Mentorship aspect of SGP through the Circle. The very idea of increasing access to more opportunities for folks from the Global South who are doing what they are doing for the first time (just like me and Violeta) is super exciting for me.

 

V.C.: First and foremost, having fun while doing what we’re doing! I envision next year as a time to continue fostering a supportive and inclusive environment within the Circle, where members feel comfortable sharing their experiences and learning from one another. We already have exciting plans to organize more interactive events, like virtual workshops and guest speaker sessions, for the Circle members. I’m also excited about the opportunity to collaborate on projects with other Circles or external organizations to gain fresh insights and strengthen our network because feminist power lies in the collective.

What is the value of the E&PS Circle for its members and the community?

S.C.: I feel the Circle members would have a better answer for this but at the risk of sounding like an advert for the Circle, we offer the experience of community – whether you are clueless about what to do next after graduation, you’ve been doing the same thing for decades and are looking for a change, you’ve enjoyed work but haven’t experienced care at work – the list is endless. All these experiences find room in this Circle, and through our community of practice, hopefully, we can support each other as best we can to sit with/ transform/transition through these experiences as a collective.

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V.C.: In one of our discussions, we recognized that the Employment and Peer Support Circle provides a place for people to recharge and take a break. We view this community as a pond where individuals on their respective journeys can come to have fresh water and then continue moving forward. The previous leader of this space, Anelise Araujo, mentioned that the E&PS Circle is the only group that rejoices when people leave because it means they have found employment. This is our present understanding as well. This space serves as a transitional one for people’s lives. Its value lies in its existence, providing a sense of belonging as a feminist collective.

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Share a song that describes your Co-lead the best!

S.C.: I won’t write the song that describes Violeta per se. But I will write the song that this experience of co-leading this Circle with has felt most like, and that would be ‘Stand By You’ by Rachel Platten. Each time we work together, I feel like we are a team. And in some ways, the song does describe her as a person – fiercely loving and warm, protective and just an amazing soul who thrives on being a kind feminist (I especially love that I learned to sign off our official SGP EPS Circle emails with ‘kind feminist regards’ from you and have now christened our blog by the same name!). There is much to say but for now, I’m going to pause here.

 

V.C.: I would describe Salomi with one of my favorite songs – ‘Bien Warrior’ by Miss Bolivia (a singer from Argentina). This song is bold, unapologetic and has great feminist energy! Just as her. ☺️

About the authors:

Salomi Christie is a multi-hyphenate professional with training and experience at the intersection of human rights, law, research, design and allied spheres. Out beyond ideas of disciplines and expertise, there is a field. You’ll often meet her there, trying to connect dots, making meaning alongside copious notes and learning something new. She currently co-leads the SGP Employment & Peer Support Circle and serves as Parliamentarian on the SGP Secretariat. In addition to her work with SGP, she is currently engaged in various trans-disciplinary pursuits and projects.

Violeta Colmán is a Paraguayan lawyer with a master’s in public policy, specializing in social justice and human rights. She is a feminist advocate with ample expertise in gender-based violence and grassroots activism and a seasoned  professional in international development, collaborating with international organizations such as the World Bank and the Organization of American States. She is passionate about the power of feminist organizations to create knowledge as advocacy tools to demand better public policies from the government.

About the SGP Employment and Peer Support Circle

The SGP Employment and Peer Support (EPS) Circle is hosted by the Society of Gender Professionals – a fully volunteer-run, global network of activists, practitioners and academics committed to gender justice whose members, subscribers and supporters represent over 100 countries. The SGP EPS Circle promotes job seekers’ resilience and resourcefulness in seeking employment and/or making career transitions. We organize collaborative discussions and workshops and aim to co-create spaces for reflecting on career goals and exchanging feedback with feminist peers working on gender justice issues.

 

The SGP EPS Circle is open to one and all. To join, please fill this Interest Form.

 

To become a registered member of SGP and enjoy numerous perks of being part of a growing community of feminists across the world, visit our Membership Page.

 

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    She also co-leads the SGP Employment & Peer Support Circle and is currently engaged in trans-disciplinary pursuits and projects.

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    Ritu Gupta (She/Her)

    Advisory Council, Former Co-President

    Ritu is based in Kolkata, India and is currently working as a Programme Manager with Gender at Work, an international feminist knowledge network. She has researched and written extensively on gender-related issues including, gender identities, child marriage, and domestic workers’ rights, amongst others. Ritu holds a Masters in Gender and Development from IDS, Sussex. She is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and Six Sigma Green Belt (on process improvement) practitioner.

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    Bren Kutch (they/them)

    Advisory Council, former Co-President

    Bren has spent their career in human resources, organizational equity and inclusion, and administration. This experience includes time with Portland State University, Mercy Corps, USAID, and volunteering for various LGBTQI+, gender, and social justice organizations. They also hold a Masters of Public Administration in HR Management from Portland State University.

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    Karine Lepillez

    SGP Founder and Advisory Council

    Karine Lepillez is Deputy Chief of Party for USAID Gender LEAD. She was formerly Global Director for Gender Equality and Girls’ Education at Room to Read and Director for Gender Policy & Practice at Navanti Group, a conflict and peacebuilding research firm. She has led and supported the operationalization of gender equality policies around the world, including as Principal of Inclusive Societies, where she worked with the World Bank, the United Nations, the U.S. Government, and other donors and implementing partners to address structural barriers to gender equality. A former USAID Gender Advisor in Pakistan, Karine designed the Mission’s Gender Equality and Gender-Based Violence Prevention and Response Strategy and managed strategic partnerships to implement the U.S. Women, Peace and Security National Action Plan. Karine is the founder of the Society of Gender Professionals (SGP), a non-profit organization of gender practitioners, academics, and activists dedicated to promoting feminist action and applied research, and raising the profile of gender expertise around the world. She teaches courses at Georgetown on gender policy, mainstreaming and advocacy, as a part of the Institute for Women Peace and Security.

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    Dr. Kristy Kelly (She/Her)

    Former Co-President

    Kristy Kelly is a sociologist specializing in gender and development, policy and politics, transnational feminisms, gender mainstreaming, and social change in Southeast Asia. She is currently assistant clinical professor of global and international education at Drexel University and Associate Research Scholar at the Weatherhead East Asian Institute at Columbia University. Kristy teaches courses on gender mainstreaming, education diplomacy, gender and development in Southeast Asia and qualitative research methods. She has published on gender and education leadership, gender mainstreaming policy, gender and corruption, and post-socialist transition in Vietnam. She also consults and advises on gender and development issues for multilateral and humanitarian aid organizations such as UNESCO, The Asia Foundation, and Transparency International in Asia and Africa. Kristy serves as an Expert Advisor on Gender Mainstreaming to the United Nations, and is a Fulbright Core Specialist on Gender Equality. She received her BA from Pennsylvania State University, and MA and PhD from the University of Wisconsin – Madison.

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    Aparna Arora (She/Her)

    Co-President

    Aparna Arora is development practitioner with a decade of experience across finance, investing, social enterprise development, and nonprofit management, in sectors such as livelihoods, water and sanitation, and gender justice, within local and international nonprofits, donor organizations, and a multilateral agency.

    Most recently, Aparna has worked as a consultant or board member with three women and non-binary individuals-led organizations in the US, including NYC Fair Trade Coalition, a grassroots nonprofit promoting fair trade businesses and sustainable fashion; INCLUSIVE, an NYC-based social enterprise creating one-stop early intervention solutions for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities; and the Society of Gender Professionals (SGP), a global network of gender academics, activists, and practitioners. She regularly mentors girls and gender-expansive youth in high school and college on career readiness through the nonprofit, Girls Write Now. 

    In 2021, Aparna completed a Master of Public Administration (MPA) with a specialization in Gender and Public Policy at the School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University, USA, attending as a Maguire Fellow (a merit-based scholarship). At the school, she researched and wrote policy papers on issues impacting the rights of women informal workers, transgender people, urban slum dwellers, and displaced people, while doing a deep dive into relevant national and state-level policies of her home country, India. As a graduate intern at UNICEF’s Office of Emergency Programs, Aparna developed a sanitation return-on-Investment tool to advocate for gender-responsive and disability-inclusive financing for durable water, sanitation & hygiene solutions in humanitarian emergencies. This work was utilized in influential, high-level UN reports and donor communications.

    Prior to her studies at Columbia University, Aparna spent four years co-leading a technical assistance and investment program for social enterprises creating livelihoods for those living in extreme poverty in India at a non-profit called Upaya Social Ventures. Before her stint in the development sector, she spent three years in finance roles at private sector organizations such as McKinsey & Company and Masan Group Vietnam. Aparna holds a Bachelor of Business Studies from the University of Delhi, India.

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