In this career spotlight, we have the pleasure of speaking with Nadeshda Jayakody, a legal advisor at eyeWitness to Atrocities. Nadeshda reflects on the lessons learned from working in regions such as Sri Lanka and Iraq, emphasising survivor-centred justice and the importance of mentorship for young professionals.
Nadeshda Jayakody is an Australian qualified lawyer specialising in international human rights law, international humanitarian law, international criminal law, and transitional justice. She is currently a Legal Advisor at eyeWitness to Atrocities in London. Previously, she held roles at NGOs and the UN in Iraq, Sri Lanka, Australia, New York and London, working on investigations, legal analysis, drafting, case building, policy and advocacy.
Nadeshda has published widely on international law related topics. One report she authored has been admitted as evidence by a state investigating ISIL crimes. She holds an LLB (Hons) and BA from the University of Technology, Sydney and an Advanced Master in European and International Human Rights Law from Leiden University. She graduated first in the class and with Cum Laude from the LLM. Nadeshda has also completed the International Investigator Course at the Institute for International Criminal Investigations.
Your career has taken you from the United Nations University in New York to a post conflict context in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. How have these diverse experiences shaped your approach to international human rights law and advocacy?
Working in countries where serious human rights and international humanitarian law violations (IHL) have occurred, such as Sri Lanka and Iraq, taught me so many valuable lessons. These include: 1) the importance of putting survivors and victims of human rights violations and atrocity crimes at the centre of truth and accountability efforts, from designing projects to their implementation. Without this, the work is bound to fail; 2) recognising that survivors, victims and their communities are experts in their own right. They know what they need in terms of justice, and it is so important for actors working on accountability to be humble and really listen; and 3) we cannot underestimate the importance of continuing to learn about a local context because one model of justice does not fit every situation and we need to continually adapt efforts based on local needs and nuances. I use these lessons as a starting point in my work.
Your background includes a commitment to mentoring and supporting young women in international law. What are some challenges that these young professionals face, and how do you support them in navigating their careers?
Being a young woman in the early to mid-part of her career, I know all too well the challenges of entering the international legal profession and continuing to grow within the profession. Some of the challenges include: 1) not knowing where the opportunities are as so many careers’ fairs at law schools focus on careers in private practice; 2) having to do unpaid or poorly paid internships to get a foot in the door; 2) navigating unstable and short-term contracts because funding, particularly at NGOs, is hard to come by; 3) standing out in a crowded space where there are so many competent people applying for the same roles; and 4) navigating imposter syndrome.
My advice to young people starting out in the field is to seek out funding opportunities to support you while you undertake an internship, either through your university or other institutions. There are also paid internships out there, though limited. Unpaid internships are a significant barrier to entry, particularly for young people from the so-called Global South or lower-socio economic backgrounds. We should all be advocating for organisations to pay interns. I also encourage young people to apply to work at smaller NGOs in-situ if your personal situation allows it because you will learn so much from working with colleagues from diverse backgrounds, will be given a lot of responsibility as these organisations are often under-resourced, and the opportunity to learn and grow.
In addition, it’s important to develop relationships with colleagues in the field, particularly those you may admire. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, ask questions and continue to apply for roles (even if they seem competitive) because you may never know where the next opportunity lies. Trust in your abilities. It’s not the easiest career path but it’s worth it if you have the passion!
Your role as the Legal Advocacy Coordinator at Yazda in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq involved investigating international crimes committed by ISIS and advocating for survivor-centred transitional justice. What have been the most challenging and rewarding aspects of this work?
It was emotionally challenging listening to Yazidi survivors who have experienced unspeakable violence and trauma. Many of my local colleagues who are from the Yazidi community have also experienced loss and displacement. It was also challenging being away from home at times. However, it was also the biggest honour of my professional life to listen to what survivors need, listen to what justice means to them (which is nuanced and complex), and work alongside the community to bring about change. It’s a slow process, but survivors’ and my colleagues’ resilience was inspiring and helped me continue.
You've had a fascinating career working across international human rights law, international humanitarian law, and international criminal law. What has been your greatest professional achievement so far?
I worked for some years to progress accountability for human rights and IHL violations that occurred in Sri Lanka during the civil war. I am originally from Sri Lanka so this is an issue close to my heart. I am proud of the work my colleagues and I did at an NGO based in Sri Lanka called the South Asian Centre for Legal Studies to progress a transitional justice agenda. In addition, the ability to work on complex legal issues in Iraq, including advocating for international crimes to be criminalised within Iraqi national law, was interesting and something I am proud of, though the work is still ongoing.
What attributes do you think make a great leader? How can young professionals hone these attributes for their career?
I am still learning about what makes a great leader. I think it’s important to be humble, to understand how to really listen and learn, be values driven, collaborative and ethical, especially when working with survivors of human rights violations. In the human rights field, there is a great power divide between big international NGOs and multilateral organisations, that are often based or headquartered in the Global North, and smaller grassroots organisations in the Global South. I believe being a good leader in this field involves understanding these dynamics and being willing to shift power to where it is needed.
I am constantly learning from leaders I admire and would encourage young professionals to do the same. And it’s important to always remember the reason you decided to work in your chosen field and the values that underpin your decision. Sometimes in the day-to-day work, it’s easy to forget, and we always need to intentionally carve out space for remembering what drew us to a career in international affairs in the first place.
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