Ana Balanean
Policy Advisor, Gender Equality and Social Inclusion
Ana Balanean is a policy advisor on Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) with IISD's Resilience Program. They are supporting the Scaling Urban Nature-Based Solutions for Climate Adaptation in sub-Saharan Africa (SUNCASA) initiative, actively contributing to IISD's ongoing efforts to advance gender equality and social inclusion, enhance climate adaptation, and protect biodiversity in urban communities by providing coordination, research, and knowledge management support.
Their commitment to advancing gender equality started in their native country, Romania, while studying for their master's degree in gender studies with a focus on ecofeminism. They followed this with a master's degree in political science specializing in global environment governance from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Afterward, they worked as a GESI advisor with different Canadian NGOs and their diverse international partner organizations.
They have been based in Eswatini, Nigeria, Malawi, Sri Lanka, and Nepal, where they have implemented gender-focused policies and projects aimed at advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights, preventing sexual harassment and discrimination in the workplace, and promoting the right to education for marginalized groups. They are based in Ottawa.