Kelly Avant
21 years old
Battambang Province
Community Health Volunteer
I'm a health education volunteer from Austin, Texas currently serving in Battambang province. I graduated in May 2014 with a degree in Gender and Women's studies and a minor in rhetoric, focusing on women's health and sexual culture. I recently published an article on college hook up culture.
Whether it's the patriarchy of a college campus or that of a Cambodian village, I'm excited to be a part of any movement to produce radical change. I love the strong sense of community I've encountered in Cambodia and I hope this group will allow me to increase opportunities for some of the strong women and girls I'm sharing this space with!
Please get in touch with me if you have any questions about the work of this committee, or if you like listening to misogynic rap music, drinking coffee or binge eating tex mex.
Grace Junkins
22 years old
Prey Veng Province
English Teacher and Teacher Training Volunteer
Before coming to Cambodia, I received my B.A. in Spanish at the University of Kentucky. During my college years I was lucky enough to study abroad in Granada, Spain for an academic year and Arezzo, Italy for a summer. Outside of school, I worked as an intern with a study abroad company called International Studies Abroad, where I promoted studying abroad and helped students find the right programs for them. I also volunteered with Kentucky Refugee Ministries as an English Tutor for a wonderful Nepali family.
My interest in the Gender Equality committee was sparked through my experiences in Cambodia, particularly my interactions with one student. When I asked her what she wanted to be when she grew up, she told me she is going to be the prime minister. The rest of my students started laughing and when I asked why they were laughing they told me that girls can’t be the prime minister. It infuriates me that my student (who I fully believe will one day be the prime minister) is being told that she can’t do what she wants because of her gender. I chose to be a part of this committee because I truly believe that the work we are doing has the potential to change the lives of young women in Cambodia.
Having only been living in my community for a few short months, I am amazed by the love I have been shown. The people in this town, whether I have developed a relationship with them or not, have taken an interest in my wellbeing and I am surrounded by support and people who truly want to see me do the best I can.
Steven Walker
24 years old
Kampot Province
Community Health Volunteer
I’m a NOVA baby (Northern Virginia), born and raised in the clutches of suburbia with both of my parents working for the federal government. I recently graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University (Dec. ’13) with a B.S. in Economics and spent my last six months before Peace Corps taking graduate classes at American University, and interning in Washington D.C. and the U.S. Small Business Administration. While much of my education and training has been in economics, I have also worked a lot with HIV/AIDS and public health.
Coming to Cambodia has been an amazing experience and has changed me so much in the short time I have been here. I have learned much about patience and tolerance from the Cambodian pace of life and my amazing host family. Although it might not be possible, my hope is to give back to Cambodia as much as it has given me.
My decision to join the GenEq committee was out of a desire to close that gap that exists between genders in this country. While I, of course, have the humanitarian believe that both sexes should be equal, I also have an understanding of the economic benefits of gender equality and empowering women when everyone has access to the same resources and unhindered personal choice (maybe a man would make a great “coffee lady,” or maybe a woman would make an intuitive police officer). I also wish to bring to light differences in gender roles, and question the behaviors deemed acceptable for specific genders. After all, I have met plenty of women who could destroy me in a game of volleyball. By serving on this committee, I hope to bring an increased awareness of gender expression and gender equality to my community.
Gianni Bisio
27 years old
Svey Rieng Province
Community Health Volunteer
The WID/GAD committee had a heroic hunger for a token, male member, and that hunger drew me like a baby is drawn to the nipple... or an adult. Furthermore, and most importantly, my participation is potentially beneficial for the procurement of the female vote in my quest for the White House... in 2036.
All seriousness aside, I wanted to be active in a committee which is high in both its practicality and its capacity for impact, given the gender inequality in Cambodia and the coverage the Peace Corps has in rural, developing communities. After growing up in rural, northern California, I moved to continue my academic pursuits, as it were. My background is in Psychology (B.A., CSU, Sacramento – '08) and in Peace and Development Studies (M.A., University of Limerick, Ireland – '10). Psychology helped give me a clearer perspective on factors which affect human and mental development, and the through my M.A. I gained a greater understanding of how gender inequality is detrimental to both economic development and to reconciliation in post-conflict societies. I feel this committee will help me utilize my academic background and whatever (limited) skills related to that. Most of my relevant work experience was with volunteering/internships, whether it was with food security, youth development, HIV/AIDS, or at Amnesty International, unless one considers several stints at Buca di Beppo to be everything he/she needs, and more.
And while you're thinking about that, think about this... Peace Corps, Cambodia is working during a very unique and important time in this country's development, both economically and socially, and a major factor in its development is it's women and the increase in their knowledge of both their potential capacity and opportunities is necessary... and to be allowed to help shape the Peace Corps' strategy in addressing these issues is a privilege I hope we all take advantage of as volunteers.
Danielle Carrillo
22 years old
Kampong Cham Province
Community Health Education
Before the Peace Corps, I was getting my B.A. in Psychology from the best university in the world, UCLA. I minored in Gender Studies and Civic Engagement, and so a lot of my free time was used towards volunteering and being an activist for social and political issues. I also worked for a non-profit called Global Inheritance in which I focused on educating and raising awareness about environmental issues. The rest of my time was spent singing in an a cappella group, working out at the gym, and simply hanging out with my friends.
Before Cambodia, I had never even left the United States. Now, I am lucky enough to be able to experience the beauty and culture of this country. The carefree attitude and friendliness that surrounds me is infectious, and I love being able to meet new people every day that genuinely want to get to know me.
I joined this committee because even though there are so many great things about Cambodia, the difference in the way that young men and women are perceived makes me cringe. I want to be able to inspire critical thinking (for both volunteers and host country nationals) about the way that culture and perceived gender differences can prevent society from developing into it’s full potential. Hopefully, our committee can serve as a source for providing awareness about gender equality around Cambodia.
Mary Walsh
25 years old
Koh Kong Province
Community Health Education
I was born and raised in Northern NJ, but moved to Los Angeles for college (mostly to escape the snow and cold weather). During my time at USC, I was involved in a lot of activites, including sorority life (SigDelt represent!) and helping with Take Back the Night, among other things. Between teaching health in Tanzania for two months after my sophomore year, volunteering with WYSE as a junior, and interning as a Middle School Sex Education Volunteer Intern with Planned Parenthood Los Angeles in my senior year, I discovered that I love talking about health and gender related issues. After graduating in 2011 with a double major in Gender Studies and Creative Writing, I headed back to NJ to await my Peace Corps invitation.
What do I love about Cambodia? After 5 months of being here, the honeymoon phase is over, but I still find myself loving almost everything around me. I've come to enjoy the rain and the humidity. I've learned to live without cheese, which is fine because Cambodian food is amazing. My homestay sisters and my homestay mom continue to amaze and inspire me. And, of course, I love the absolute beauty I am surrounded by. I continually find myself challenged by the language, but I revel in the relative simplicity of life. I know Cambodia has more to teach me, but for now, I'm just taking it one day at a time.
I joined this committee because I am passionate about gender issues. It really hit me how much inequality exists here when my homestay mom was showing me pictures of her class from her teacher trainer school, and she was only one of three women in a picture that had around 30 people in it. I see the inequality in the health center, in my classes, and in the market daily. I hope by working from the ground up, this committee can inspire change and hopefully influence the future of this country for the better.
