Elizabeth joined the IOM Staff Welfare Team from UNICEF, where she worked as the Regional Staff Counsellor for West and Central Africa. Born in the UK, Elizabeth’s cultural curiosity and passion to support people working in fragile environments has taken her across the globe. She has worked for 20 years in education, human rights, development and humanitarian sectors in Europe, Asia and Africa. Interested in migrant issues, Elizabeth set up a pro-bono counselling service during the peak of the European refugee crisis. An experienced counsellor and trainer, she holds a Master’s degree in Human Rights and a degree in Modern Languages. Prior to Covid, Elizabeth was often on a plane conducting extensive field missions to remote and emergency duty stations. She integrated yoga, tai chi, relaxation and fun in her missions and qualified as a yoga teacher. Since virtual working began, Elizabeth became fascinated by the potential of digital health technologies and became an accredited online therapist and online clinical supervisor. Some of the organisations Elizabeth has worked for include: the British Council, RedR, the International Service for Human Rights, Voluntary Services Overseas, Dept For International Development (DfID), Ministry of Education in Ethiopia, International Rescue Committee, Peace Brigades International, the British Foreign Office and the Conflict Security and Stablisation Fund.

Email: eopenshaw@iom.int    

Language: English, French, German, Spanish