08 Sep 2020 WACC welcomes 2020 intern  

Sohailia Saywack, a recent graduate of Western University’s MA sociology program and current Master of Global Affairs candidate at the University of Toronto, has joined WACC as an international development intern.  

“WACC Global’s mission of promoting communication as a basic human right resonated with my desire to be a part of a synergetic team that advocates for equality,” said Saywack, when asked why she chose to intern for the organization. 

Of particular interest to Saywack is the Global Media Monitoring Project (GMMP), WACC Global’s flagship research project on the representation of gender in the news media, which is held every five years since 1995. The opportunity to assist with this year’s GMMP “is a way to utilize my research skills and delve deeper into nuanced gender issues, exploring global, regional and national trends and differences,” said Saywack in an email interview.  

Saywack – who has lived in Guyana, Barbados, and Canada – said she is also “excited to connect with Francophone and Hispanophone members across WACC’s GMMP network, allowing me to use (and improve!) my knowledge of French and Spanish.” 

WACC Global’s advocacy on other fronts, such as migration and communication rights, was also a big draw for Saywack.  

“My own experiences of migration have made me very interested in social stratification and the political economy,” said Saywack. “I enjoy investigating complex, cross-national social issues and articulating [them] in an accessible way.”  

She added that she is passionate about “incorporating equity, diversity, and inclusivity into my research work in order to offer a strong evidence-base for social changemakers.” 

Asked what she expects to get out of her internship at WACC, Saywack said, “I expect to be involved in work that makes a tangible difference within our world; the United Nations has recognized the GMMP as a tool for change and I am excited to be a part of this work!”  

She also hopes to “strengthen my research skills and enhance my knowledge of conducting cross-national analyses. Additionally, I hope to learn more strategies for successfully managing large-scale projects such as the GMMP.” 

Saywack, who will be working under the supervision of GMMP global coordinator Sarah Macharia, said she aims to be “a dependable and pro-active member of the team.”