speaker-info

Erin Aylward

Researcher, Transnational advocacy, gender equality, and LGBTI human rights

Erin Aylward is a practitioner and researcher of transnational advocacy, gender equality, and LGBTI human rights. As a doctoral candidate in Political Science at the University of Toronto, Erin’s research examines the polarization of sexual rights within international relations. From 2017-2018, Erin coordinated a global coalition focused on advancing LGBTI rights on behalf of the Government of Canada. During her resultant professional leave from academia, Erin worked with the Equal Rights Coalition’s 40 member states, civil society, and UN agencies to design platforms and strategies for coordinating diplomatic engagement and advancing LGBTI-inclusive development assistance and programming. Prior to her doctoral studies, Erin created, funded and filled the position of Gender Advisor to Engineers Without Borders Canada, working primarily with the organizations’ ventures in Ghana. She also worked as a Public Outreach Officer with the women’ rights organization, Oxfam Canada, and has served as a Gender Advisor to the social enterprise Viamo, with whom she helped develop, fund and implement a project on school-based sexual violence in Ghana. Erin has also served as a Research Lead (2014-2015) and as an advisory committee member (2019 – present) with the Dignity Network, a Canadian working group focused on advancing foreign policy and refugee policy related to LGBTI rights. She is also proud to serve on the Board of Directors of Equitas International Centre for Human Rights Education.

My Sessions

Lessons Learned 1

Room 106 D

Register for this session   This session is formed by 4 organizations sharing their lessons learned on various topics. Participants in this session will participate in a world cafe style session and rotate from table to table to learn and exchange with one another. Gender Based Violence in Humanitarian Nutrition Programming World Vision will present […]

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Canada and Human Rights for Sexual and Gender Minorities: An Inter-Sectoral Discussion on Canada’s Role in the World Supporting the Advancement of LGBTI+ Issues and Human Rights

Room 106 C

Register for this session   In recent years, Canada has increasingly been seen as a global leader in advancing the human rights and inclusion of sexual and gender minorities, or LGBTI+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex people).  What does this actually mean? What are the ways that the Canadian government has moved to integrate LGBTI+ […]

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