Appointed as the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth at the age of 26, Jayathma Wickramanayake’s career trajectory testifies to the power of education.
Now senior policy advisor at UN Women, Ms. Wickramanayake is working to empower all women and girls to fulfil their potential – whatever their background.
“I was never told that because I was a girl, I couldn't do X, Y or Z. [My parents] always encouraged us to explore our passions […] as long as we put education first, because that was non-negotiable,” she says.
Despite significant progress on gender parity, too many girls still miss out on quality education, with women making up about two-thirds of the world’s 776 million illiterate adults.
“I would always say, don't wait for advice. Don't wait for invitations. Just look around, you will find ways to contribute to change in your own family, in your own community, in your college, in your university and in your country,” Wickramanayake adds.
In?this episode?of the UN podcast Awake at Night, she reflects on the global hunger for learning, her beginnings in conflict-ridden Sri-Lanka, and her hopes for her baby son.
Listen to Wickramanayake’s interview with Melissa Fleming, Under-Secretary -General for Global Communications, by tuning in on your??or visiting the?Awake at Night website.
About?Awake at Night:
The UN podcast Awake at Night is an in-depth interview series focusing on remarkable United Nations staff members who dedicate their career to helping people in parts of the world where they have the hardest lives – from war zones and displacement camps to areas hit by disasters and the devastation of climate change.
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