2020
Jiyeong (Faith) Park
- Age: 30
- | She/her/hers
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We must prioritize the active involvement of young girls and women in designing sexual reproductive health programs and informing policy. Their voices should be reflected in every step of the process to ensure their meaningful participation and truly empower them in promoting their sexual reproductive health and rights.
- Jiyeong (Faith) Park
Bio
Faith (Jiyeong) Park is a South Korean public health professional currently based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. She is currently working as an Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist at the UN Population Fund (UNFPA). Faith previously worked with UNAIDS Middle East and North Africa regional office based in Cairo, Egypt as well as Population Services International (PSI) Southern Africa regional office based in Johannesburg, South Africa. She holds a MSc in Public Health for Development from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM).
What ignited your pursuit for gender equality?
While working in South Africa, I witnessed the systematic and structural barriers women encounter in accessing quality health care, which ignited my pursuit for gender equality. I am committed to working for marginalized women by advocating for their empowerment to improve their health outcomes.
Please share your biggest wins as an advocate for gender equality.
To address taboo on family planning, I organized and implemented a women’s health program in rural Cameroon that included a doctor’s presentation on maternal health, a Q&A session, and free doctor consultations. It brought many women together to have open conversations about family planning and women’s empowerment.
Outside of your gender equality advocacy work, what do you enjoy doing?
I love being outside surrounded by nature and traveling to new places. Long-distance running is an integral part of my life, and I also enjoy reading books and listening to thought-provoking podcasts. As a people person, I love meeting new people and engaging in conversations on social justice-related topics.
Languages Spoken:
- English (Advanced/Native)
- Korean (Advanced/Native)
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Past Awards, Certifications, or Fellowships:
- Health in Complex Humanitarian Emergencies from Coursera (Emory University)
- Princeton in Africa Fellowship
- UN Volunteers Programme
