In 2021 Preetima gradauted with a BA in Anthropology & Law, here she talks about her career since graduating.
Tell us about your career since studying with us.
I completed my undergraduate degree during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, and I was repatriated back to my home country, Mauritius. I kickstarted my career by working as a research assistant for an international thinktank before getting the opportunity to join the regional non-governmental organisation (NGO) that I have always wanted to work in, called ‘Gender Links’. Since then, I have been able to combine my legal skills and anthropological training to engage in capacity building, risk assessment, fundraising, logistics and planning, research, data management and grassroots activism. It has been a very fulfilling pursuit to make tangible efforts towards an inclusive, equal and just society in which women and girls in all their diversities can exercise their voice and choice. After pursuing a Fellowship in Civic Engagement in the USA, I began working as an independent consultant/researcher with local universities, not-for profits and private companies.
How do you use what you learnt on the Anthropology and Law programme in your work?
In the NGO sector, all our activities are geared towards human beings and my anthropological training has been fundamental in equipping me with the cultural sensitivity and empathy required to work with survivors of gender-based violence. During my work as the ‘monitoring and evaluation officer’, I was tasked to take the personal testimonies (I-Stories) of gender-based violence survivors and I was able to navigate difficult conversations with due regards to the dynamics of gender, power, politics, and religion. Particularly, I was able to use the knowledge on the course of ‘Children and Youth in contemporary Ethnography’ and interdisciplinary approaches to help children survivors of violence in their studies and holistic development. My legal training has allowed me to represent the voices the women and children survivors of violence for equitable and empathic policymaking and implementation. In May 2022, I represented Mauritius’s advocacy efforts on banning child marriage and promoting adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights at Gender Links’ regional forum in South Africa.
What do you enjoy most about working as a researcher and community facilitator in the civil society sector?
I enjoy working as a researcher as research often opens up spaces for people to have a voice: to express difficulties and issues which would otherwise go unspoken and unnoticed. During my years at LSE, I engaged in interdisciplinary research groups organised by LSE Groups, following which I was invited to be a panellist at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) Education Forum in 2020. I was also part of the Development Group of LSE Student Futures and these experiences reinforced the idea that research really precedes any concrete and impactful social change. As the LSE motto goes, research gets to the heart of knowing the causes of things.
As a community facilitator, I thoroughly enjoy the ‘cultural immersion’ processes that happens in the communities and people that I work which, which are always embodiments of rich tapestries of experiences – whether that be psychological, physical, spiritual, emotional etc.
What are some important lessons you’ve learnt during your career?
I have learnt that critical thinking skills, whether learnt through any discipline, stays with you forever and enhances your personal and professional life experiences.
Soft skills including cultural sensitivity and empathy are becoming even more significant in the world that we live in and whilst one may be technically sound, teamwork and people management are a total game-changer.
I have also realised that one’s academic and professional experiences should aim to get you to have a deeper understanding of yourself and to allow you to learn and unlearn the narratives that you have been telling yourself for years. The more diverse your professional choices are, the more these contribute to enhance this process.
What advice would you give students who want to find similar roles?
Even if one may not be 100% certain which sector or field they would like to go into, it is fair to explore with different part-time jobs or internships during the first years at university or even beyond. LSE Careers is also a fantastic place to explore diverse opportunities. Connecting with alumni from your home country or degree programme who have all embarked onto diverse careers can also crystallise some career pathways and offer exciting opportunities for collaboration.
I would advise students to apply for positions, irrespective of how much the Imposter Syndrome may be kicking in. Whilst studying at LSE comes with significant symbolic power, it is equally important to do one’s personal research to learn about local opportunities.
It is significant to continuously invest in one’s learning and in this regard, I would recommend applying for local, regional or international fellowships.