International Women's Day: Interview with Farah Manji (Teaching and Learning Tutor)
Farah (centre) and some of her students in the gardens at the Aga Khan Centre.
What was your path to your role?
Nearly a decade ago, I attended the IIS as a student. I was enrolled in the STEP programme to become an educator for Ismaili youth and community, wherever I lived or travelled. In this role I designed and delivered educational experiences to assist students in navigating the complexities of modern life and to reveal ways in which faith, tradition and culture can speak anew. Since this time, the STEP programme at the Institute has grown and evolved and I find myself ‘returning’ or coming full circle. In other words, I am back at the IIS after accepting the role of a Teaching and Learning Tutor for STEP. Now I work with STEP teacher trainees, something I once was. It is humbling to be back here and this responsibility has brought immense joy and fulfilment to my life.
What’s your favourite aspect of your job?
What I value and appreciate about my job is the ‘ethic of presence’ that it inspires me to live by. This ethic of presence is a kind of ‘meeting place’ between the inner life of a person and the outer life of action in the world. For me personally, when I embody this ethic, I envision the transformative possibilities of my students’ learning. This allows me to become proactively responsible for creating ethically driven, deep, rich and engaging learning environments. What is most favourable for me is when I see our students inspired by this, and in turn creating comparable learning environments and educational experiences, for their own students, in their own classes.
Who are the women who inspire you?
There are countless women who inspire me, both from ancient times and contemporary times, but I will focus on the ancient ones. Essentially, I am inspired by women who are aware of the deeper truth that lies at their core and who embody this truth to such an extent that it translates as enlightened action in a stormy world. Many of these women consist of feminine mystics, poetesses, priestesses, holy troublemakers, trailblazers and changemakers who teach us how to stand up and show our souls. Each of these women remind us of our own light and have powerful lessons to teach us. Some of my favourites are:
- Parvati, The Goddess of Devotion
- Dakini, The Enlightened Feminine
- Zhou Xuanjing, The Mystic of Peace
- Bibi Zaynab, The Lioness of Karbala
- Mira Bai, The Saint of True Freedom
- Freyja, The Goddess of Discernment
- Teresa of Avila, Lady of the Interior Life
- Quan Yin, The Goddess of Compassion
- Inanna, The Queen of Heaven and Earth
- Saraswati, The Goddess of Self-Knowledge
- Mary Magdalene, The Apostle to the Apostles
