Who is Dr. Aamir Jamal?

Dr. Aamir Jamal is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Social Work at the University of Calgary. He carries two Administrative roles as Director, Global Engagement and International Partnerships and as the International Community Development (ICD) Specialization Program Coordinator at the Faculty of Social Work. With a unique background that combines a PhD in Social Work (International Social Development) from the University of Calgary, MBA from Adelphi University, New York, and over 25 years of work in international social work, Dr. Jamal brings a valuable blend of knowledge and experience to research, policy and practice.

He is a world-class expert in the sphere of men’s engagement in gender justice, prevention of domestic violence, girls’ education and women rights in global south. He has produced a significant body of research that has informed policy and practice for national governments and international agencies. His research emerges from a strong social justice perspective and is focused primarily on three areas: engaging men in gender justice; the effectiveness of International NGOs in the development sector; and Muslim youth, identity construction in context of global conflicts. Dr. Jamal’s work has been published in prestigious scholarly journals and presented at conferences and community events across the globe. He is a regular keynote speaker at both academic institutions and community organizations, as well as being frequently interviewed by national and international media outlets. His work, which is based on community-oriented approaches blended with a strong social justice perspective, has informed policy and practice for national governments and international agencies.

He is most recognized for his recently published books “The Gatekeepers: Engaging Pashtun men for gender justice and girl’s education in Pakistan”, which has been translated in Urdu and will be available in Pashto language in 2021.  In this seminal work, Dr. Jamal has created a strong foundation of a new dialogue on “Men as Allies in Gender Justice” in the Pashtun region of Pakistan. This emerging social movement is effectively raising critical consciousness among communities and developing the sense of discontent about existing rigid gender norms and injustices in the region. His work has made significant contribution in shifting local attitudes and cultural perspectives, involved communities directly in addressing gender-based violence, influenced and promoted social justice and transformation through formal government and societal approaches.

Dr. Jamal has received several awards for both his research and work for global social justice including the Izaak Killam Doctoral Award, Nickola Goddard Research Award, the International Research Award by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and Recognition of Excellence – Social Action Award from the University of Calgary, Canada. He has recently been nominated for the International Career Achievement award.