Maria Harker (28) is currently studying a Master of Public Administration in the field of Economic, Social & Political Development at Columbia University.
Born and raised in Colombia, Maria completed her Bachelor’s degree in Law at Universidad de los Andes in Colombia.
Since the beginning of her career as a lawyer, she has designed and implemented innovative strategies for the inclusion of women and youth. She worked for the Program of Action for Equality and Social Inclusion (PAIIS), where she advocated for the rights of people with disabilities, LGBTQ+, and people in prison. Furthermore, as a public officer of the Colombian Institute of Family Welfare she was in charge of the implementation of international treaties for the protection of children. She worked on cases related to international child abduction, right of access, and child migration.
Among many initiatives, Maria created a project called “Las niñas y los niños opinan” in Bogota, a project that advocated for the rights of children of same-sex parents, in response to legal and judicial initiatives to prohibit same-sex adoption in Colombia. The goal of this project was to make sure that the children’s opinions and experiences were heard in the political debate about same-sex marriage and adoption in Colombia. She also co-founded a research group to advocate for the rights of women and children victims of domestic violence..
At Columbia University, Maria has remained committed to addressing the challenges faced by women and children. As Vice-president of the Latin American Student Association and Research Assistant at Columbia's Earth Institute she is discussing key policy issues to enable political, economic, and social inclusion of youth and women.
Maria has a strong belief in empowering the voices of the young. In her own words: "Children will be the guardians of the peace we strive for."
