From OECS

Monday, February 17, 2020 — Lecturer and Research Specialist at the Institute for Gender and Development Studies of the University of the West Indies, Dr. Natasha Kay Mortley, has been appointed as Strategic Gender and Migration Advisor to the Director General of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).

The non‐remunerated appointment will be for a period of three years commencing 13 February 2020 and will be subject to renewal by mutual consent.

The post is advisory to the Director General and in that capacity will span the following responsibilities: 

• Work collaboratively with the Director General to shape, apply and align gender and migration policy and strategy to the OECS development agenda; 
• Provide strategic leadership input and vision for the organization’s gender programs and initiatives; 
• Provide strategic leadership input and vision for the organization’s migration programs and initiatives;
• Represent OECS/participate in national, regional and international fora on Gender and Migration; 
• Lead research in the areas of migration and gender for the OECS; and 
• Establish and maintain productive relationships with key stakeholders, including government officials, NGOs, private sector and community groups. 

The OECS Commission extends sincere appreciation to Dr. Mortley for the invaluable pro bono contributions that she has made to date to the OECS.

The Director General and staff of the Commission look forward to deepening this engagement through a close working relationship to advance the region’s gender agenda and to shape meaningful policies and programs that optimise the benefits of migration for the OECS. 

About Dr. Natasha Kay Mortley:

Dr. Natasha Kay Mortley is a Lecturer and Research Methodologist at the Institute for Gender and Development Studies, Regional Coordinating Office. She holds a BSc in Sociology, MPhil in Sociology of Development and PhD in Migration and Development Studies.  In 2006 she was the recipient of the Commonwealth Split Site Award, and in 2010 the Global Development Network (GDN) Top Three Awardees for research on Migration and Development.

Natasha Mortley has extensive experience in the field of Development Studies, having been engaged in a multi-disciplinary approach to key developmental challenges of particular relevance to the Caribbean region.  Her research work has, inter alia, focused on: migration & diaspora studies; migration, health & development; medical tourism; diaspora tourism; sports tourism; gender & leadership; gender & entrepreneurship; gender & climate change; and contemporary Caribbean masculinities.  Her disciplinary focus over the past fifteen (15) years has been dedicated to integrating a gender perspective to Caribbean social development and policy issues. She considers herself an avid advocate for gender equality, gender justice and female empowerment.

Dr. Mortley is a member of The African-Caribbean Women’s Mobility and Self-fashioning in Post-diaspora Contexts Network with Southbank University, London UK and a member of the Migration and Development Cluster, SALISES Mona UWI.