Farewell to Diversity Officer Aya Ezawa: Tireless advocate for D&I
Aya Ezawa bade farewell as Diversity Officer of Leiden University at a celebration in the Academy Building on 11 June. Since her appointment in 2019, she has been a tireless advocate for culture change and a champion for diversity, inclusion and equal opportunities for all.
For Ezawa and her team from the D&I Expertise Office, the work was not just about numbers, projects or toolkits. It was, above all, about the awareness needed to promote D&I and equal opportunities. It was not always easy, she said at her leaving celebration. ‘It is one thing to change toilet signs or email salutations. But it is another to change people, their attitudes and everyday behaviour.’
World to be won
The university has become much more inclusive but there is still a world to be won. ‘Although the process is slow, and too slow for many’, said Ezawa, ‘I think that with all our efforts to create more visibility, awareness and engagement at all levels of the university, things are definitely moving.’
President of the Executive Board Annetje Ottow praised Ezawa’s grit and determination. ‘You have been a tireless advocate for D&I and the minority voices that could easily have gone unheard’, she said. ‘Your work has brought us closer to our goal of an inclusive and diverse academic community.’
More visible
Much has changed in recent years, said Ottow. ‘Our D&I policy and its importance are far more visible now than when you started in the role. The annual D&I Symposium, for example, attracts a large and diverse audience. The D&I Office’s presence in our newsletters and on social media has definitely increased the visibility and recognition of the hugely important topics of diversity and inclusion.’
Much has changed in recent years, said Ottow. ‘Our D&I policy and its importance are far more visible now than when you started in the role. The annual D&I Symposium, for example, attracts a large and diverse audience. The D&I Office’s presence in our newsletters and on social media has definitely increased the visibility and recognition of the hugely important topics of diversity and inclusion.’
Ottow also highlighted Ezawa’s ability to bring together and unite people. ‘More recently we have relied heavily on your contacts and expertise. And we have benefitted from the confidence these groups have in you as a person. They feel seen and heard by you and appreciate your empathy and respect for their feelings and opinions. Thanks to you, there have been fantastic meetings and moving discussions at our university and people have become more understanding of one another. I am most grateful to you for that.’
‘Thanks to you people have become more understanding of one another’
Resistance
Ezawa is living proof that greater diversity does not come without some pushback. She and her team have regularly faced resistance and opposition in recent years. ‘The role and position of D&I Officer are not easy ones and are regularly the subject of discussion both within and outside the university.’ Ezawa was regularly personally attacked on social media, for example. That was taking things way too far, said Karin Horsman, Director of the Department of Strategy and Academic Affairs, and would never be tolerated by the university. She expressed her great respect for how Aya never faltered in her mission but continued unwavering.
Horsman listed some milestones in Ezawa’s work:
- Accessibility of buildings
- Gender-neutral salutations
- Research on the university’s role in colonialism and historical slavery
- Diversity monitoring
- Networking and community
- Annual D&I Symposium
- Israel-Palestine steering group and taskforce
Horsman concluded with some more personal observations. ‘Aya, you did it your way and did not always toe the party line. You have shown sheer dogged determination and I’d like to thank you for all you have taught me.’
Then it was Ezawa’s turn to thank the D&I team, the networks and all students and staff who had trusted and supported her and helped move D&I policy forward. ‘The past five years have been a rollercoaster but all the people I have met, the critical voices, initiatives and collaborations have given me so much energy. I could not have done my job without you.’
Aya Ezawa will now focus once again on her work as a sociologist and Assistant Professor of Modern Japan Studies at the Faculty of Humanities. She will continue to advise the management team and the Israel-Palestine Taskforce until a successor is appointed.
Photos: Danique ter Horst