My name is Carolina Cortes, and I am a rising senior, majoring in Psychology with minors in Spanish and Political Science. This summer, I am interning at the Center for Migration, Gender, and Justice (CMGJ). CMGJ is an organization that addresses human rights at the intersection of migration and gender. Its goal is to “shrink spaces between migrant communities and governing bodies… gender justice beyond borders necessitates shared agency, representation, and accountability in protecting human rights for all.” brings gender justice beyond borders. Founded by Dr. Golesorkhi, a Political Science professor here at UP (of which I have had the honor and pleasure to take a few classes with), this internship and organization has brought my classroom discussions and assignments and applied them to real-world contexts. I highly encourage you all to visit CMGJ’s website (and social media!) to learn more about the organization and other research projects it has spearheaded.
At CMGJ, I work as a Project Researcher and Advisory Group Coordinator. The project that I have been focusing on for this summer has mainly focused on ensuring gender and health justice for Venezuelan migrants. Venezuela has been in the midst of a humanitarian and socioeconomic crisis, which has led to almost 5 million Venezuelans fleeing; conditions have only worsened due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, especially in the context of health, and health as it pertains to women*, girl, LGBTQIA+, and gender diverse migrants.
I work from home, much of which is constant research and writing on the state of gender and health justice for Venezuelan migrants, specifically Venezuelan migrants in Colombia. If a document is only available in Spanish, I translate a short summary in my notes. In addition, I have also researched which other organizations and migrant communities might be available in order to share their data on a global stage, and center their experiences. The goal of this project is to gather available data, and in centering migrant communities and NGOs, and present a Guidance Note to donors specifying which areas need their attention and resources.
I am very fortunate to work at CMGJ, as it has also led to my reflection into the communities I wish to stand in solidarity with in the future, and how I can apply the skills I am practicing in my internship to my career path and in future justice-centered endeavors.