Tanjila Mazumder Drishti

Tanjila Mazumder Drishti (Globalisation, Business and Development 2017) is Regional Lead – Asia for BRAC International, an international development organisation founded in Bangladesh.

Tanjila worked in the development sector for five years before deciding to pursue a degree in the field. She came to Sussex in 2017 to study a Masters in Globalisation, Business and Development at the Institute of Development Studies (IDS).

Since graduating, she has continued to design and lead international development interventions, especially in the areas of female empowerment and youth development. She has worked with youth-led projects and policy makers from across Asia and represents Bangladesh on various global platforms. Tanjila was also recently selected as a Social Action Award finalist for the Study UK Alumni Awards in Bangladesh.

What led you to study a Masters degree at Sussex?

During my university research, I came across several articles published by IDS. One particularly impactful piece ended with the question, "Whose voice counts?". This resonated with me, as I wanted to study at an institution that would empower me to ask difficult questions and focus on reaching the most vulnerable populations.

The fact that IDS and Sussex are ranked No. 1 for Development Studies was an added thrill!

What drew you to a career in development?

As a child, I was really bothered by the fact that I could pursue education but other girls my age were dropping out of school to get married at 13 based on their family's economic background. Soon I understood the concept of ‘my’ Bangladesh versus ‘theirs’ (i.e. inequality). The fact that access to basic services like education, health, food and shelter continued to be a daily struggle for millions made me wonder, “Where is the system going wrong?”.

Realising the lack of pro-poor development and service provision, I committed my career towards promoting inclusive, pro-poor development projects.

What made you want to work for BRAC?

I think the real question is, what kept me at BRAC?

This year I completed a decade of working at BRAC, and these three things played a major role in keeping me in love with this incredible organisation:

• BRAC believes in community-driven participatory approaches. We don't just work for the community; we work with the community to formulate sustainable solutions and long-lasting changes through empowering women as catalysts for change.
• It is high time that we challenge the traditional, top-down approaches to development and decolonise the processes. BRAC is a Southern-led NGO, founded in the setting of post-war Bangladesh in 1972 that currently reaches more than 100 million people across 16 Asian and African countries. It is unique how BRAC has managed to remain globally local and retain the uniqueness of being an organisation from the Global South.
• BRAC prioritises a learning perspective, to the extent that we publish a Failure Report every year to share our learnings with others on things that did not go so well.

After returning from Sussex, I became the youngest Senior Manager at BRAC in 2018. Over the next few years, I was fortunate to be recognised as one of the 30 Emerging Leaders at BRAC for my work. In 2022, I took on a global role in the organisation as Regional Lead for Asia, focusing on strategic partnerships and resource mobilisation.

In 2023, Women Deliver named me among 300 young leaders worldwide for 'walking the talk of equality' through their work and in 2024, I was honoured to be named as a national finalist for the prestigious Study UK Alumni Awards in the Social Action category. These achievements highlight the collective efforts of my team and the support of BRAC as well as my family.

A young mother: Coming from a conservative patriarchal society, my mother had to marry at the age of 19 and she had me, her first child, at the age of 20. Since my birth, she fought with society to ensure I had access to all the opportunities that she did not have access to as a girl.

A feminist father: Being a feminist man in a patriarchal society can be very difficult. I have often seen my dad being looked down upon for 'allowing' his daughter to chase her passion and her dreams. I'm grateful to him for teaching me the importance of making my voice count from a very early age.