My name is Julot and I am Gender2Connect’s communications manager. I recently obtained my master’s degree in Environment & Resource Management at the VU in Amsterdam, and before that I studied Communication Sciences. During my studies, gender has always been an underlying theme. For example, for my communications study, I chose the specialization “Diversity” and I followed a minor “Women’s and Gender Studies” in Ottawa, Canada. Here, I first learned about gender in the general discourse, in public policy, and within organizations. During my master, I chose the specialization “Global Food Challenges” and I wrote my thesis about gender differences in access to agricultural microinsurance in rural Kenya. I interviewed many women and men about cultural norms, inequality of opportunity, access to resources, gender stereotypes, and the various negative consequences of these issues, for both women and men. 

I think communication is a part of every problem and, therefore, should be part of every solution. A lot of the times, small changes in communication can already have a big impact. Everybody communicates, and communication exists at every level. It is the way you talk to your friends, the way your employer talks to you, the way the government communicates to citizens, the way advertisements are designed, and so on. It is manifold, which creates various opportunities and entry points to use it in a good - or: better - way!