photographer: carly wollaert © | make-up artist: sharmila vooren
albana mazreku(she/her)
advocaat at van doorne
about
i am originally from kosovo. in 1992, together with my family i fled to the netherlands. my parents did not have a college degree; they worked heavy manual labor jobs. they taught me that if you want something, you have to give it your all. with that engraved in my mind, i always worked really hard, feeling as well, i had to put in a bit more effort than some others to get to where i am today. as a young mother, i am facing new challenges. knowing what i know, i want to contribute to an environment in which everyone, especially women, can thrive.
what advice would you give to your younger self?
so far, the journey of life taught me to always stay true to yourself, to be positive and to let nobody tell you that you cannot do something when you know you can. this is what i would tell my younger self. additionally, i would say that it is good to be different and that it is good to make mistakes. society pushes you to conform to a norm that is not necessarily made for you. luckily, you are not alone. there are a lot of women who feel the same. together we are stronger and together we can push for change.
van doorne
when it comes to equality (or rather equity), whether it’s political, social or economic, we are far from there yet. for equality to come about, we need to make some changes to the system. today, some clearly have advantages over others to become successful. through the diversity & inclusion committee we, albana & sharon, work to remove barriers and create opportunities for historically marginalized groups within van doorne, to enable them to contribute with their unique talents. it’s the only way forward, to stay relevant and innovative, and offer the best service to our clients.