Ananya Vohra is a Master’s of Global Governance candidate at the Balsillie School of International Affairs. She graduated from the University of Alberta in 2024 with a Bachelor of Arts Honours degree in Political Science and a minor in Women’s and Gender Studies. Additionally, she earned certificates in Globalization and Governance and Peace and Post-Conflict Studies.

During her undergraduate studies, Ananya was actively involved in various student groups and organizations. She served as a Senior University Ambassador, a copyeditor for the Political Science Undergraduate Review, and held multiple student governance roles.

 In her fourth year, Ananya completed her Honours thesis titled “Canadian (In)Security: The Strategic Use of Sexual Violence in Canada’s Colonial Project,” under the supervision of Dr. Siobhan Byrne. Her research employed feminist security studies theory alongside Indigenous and post-colonial theories to examine the strategic use of sexual violence in Canada’s settler colonial project. The thesis challenged mainstream understandings of insecurity and critiqued Canada’s Women, Peace, and Security Action Plan. Ananya intends to continue exploring these themes in her Master’s research, further interrogating how popular conceptions of security often overlook the insecurity caused by settler colonialism in so-called “secure” settler states. 

 In addition to her academic pursuits, Ananya has gained practical experience interning at Indigenous Services Canada since May 2023. She has worked in both the Child and Family Services Department and, more recently, in Emergency Management.