Master of Development Practice Students Compete at Map the System Global Finals at Oxford University
Faculty of Environment students represent the University of Waterloo on the global stage
Why do patterns of workplace inequality persist in the Global North despite decades of progress toward gender equality? This question inspired a team of Master of Development Practice (MDP) students to explore the complex issue of gender-based career parity through systems thinking.
Bria Wong-Armstrong, Chloe Stroh, Prishaa Rajalathan, Sadia Mohammad and Zoraiz Sheikh participated in Map the System, a global learning program and competition that challenges students to examine complex social and environmental issues through a systems lens. Participants create visual systems maps to illustrate the interconnected factors that contribute to these challenges and identify opportunities for meaningful change.
The team's project, Unravelling the Feminomenon: How Occupational Gender Shifts Trigger Industry Devaluation, focused on women with post-secondary education working in white-collar professions across the Global North. Through their analysis, the students examined the structural and cultural forces that continue to influence career outcomes and workplace equity.
After winning the University of Waterloo's Map the System competition, the team earned the opportunity to represent the university at the global finals hosted by the University of Oxford's Saïd Business School.
Sheikh, Mohammad, Stroh and Rajalathan at the University of Oxford.
Stroh, Rajalathan, Mohammad and Sheikh travelled to Oxford to compete against student teams from universities around the world. During the four-day event, finalists delivered a 10-minute presentation showcasing their systems analysis before a panel of judges. “Presenting our project at Oxford was an incredible experience. Beyond the prestige of the university itself, it was inspiring to be surrounded by students from around the world who were passionate about addressing complex global challenges”.
The team members credit the Master of Development Practice program for playing a significant role in their team’s success. “Our team came from a wide range of academic and professional backgrounds, including finance, healthcare, and international development. The program encouraged us to bring these different perspectives together and challenge one another's assumptions about development.”
The team hopes their research will contribute to ongoing conversations about gender equity in the workplace and encourage further examination of the systems that continue to shape career parity in the Global North.
The students also acknowledge the support of the Balsillie School of International Affairs, whose funding helped make their participation in the global competition possible.
Unravelling the Feminomenon: How occupational gender-shifts trigger industry devaluation, is published on the 2026 Map the System submission library.
