Elena B. Stavrevska is a peace scholar, currently working at the Centre for Women, Peace, and Security at the London School of Economics and Political Science. She has always been passionate about education and gender equity. Part of it relates to her mother’s experience who faced challenges to pursue an education at a time when girls, particularly in the rural areas, were not even expected to go to school, but she persisted and became the first female from her village to attend and complete university. Knowing how profoundly education has affected her mother’s and her own life and worldviews, after the completion of her doctoral studies at the Central European University, Elena has chosen a career in academia, combining teaching and research.
Building on her different experiences and engagements, Elena is keenly aware of the paramount role that mentorship and support networks and systems play in the empowerment of girls and women. This is precisely why she jumped at the opportunity to become part of the founding team of Stella, which she is hoping to develop into a valuable platform that brings people together and a driver of important national discussions on gender equity, education, and economic empowerment.