Tributes
"When Professor Croll was approached to ask if she would consider joining the WEMC Consortium as an Advisor, her response was typical for her. Without a moment's hesitation, without giving a thought to her extremely busy schedule, she consented, thrilled, as she said, to be honoured with such invitation. Mentorship was to her a joyous task, to be undertaken with sympathy, open-mindedness and with sharp, critical awareness of core-issues under discussion (of which she never lost sight even when others wandered off into by-lanes of investigation). Professor Croll'¡¦s idealism and deeply felt commitment to the cause of vulnerable and voiceless women made her a role model to succeeding generations of researchers and activists."
Maria Jaschok, WEMC Coordinator at the
International Gender Studies Centre, Oxford University
"It is with deep sadness and shock that I receive the news about Elizabeth's passing. We were very fortunate to have her insights and wisdom at our CAG meeting."
Noeleen Heyzer, Chair, WEMC Consortium Advisory Group
"Right from the time Elisabeth accepted our invitation to be our Advisor, she has been extremely committed and supportive. On the first occasion I met her in London in June 2006, before our project was even launched, she impressed me with her close reading of our proposal, asking me sharp questions with great interest. She was already very unwell when she came to our CAG meeting ¡V alas, already inflicted by a cancer that had been tragically mis-diagnosed as 'depression', or so I understand. But despite her ill health and long journey, she certainly impressed us all by plunging straight into our CAG meeting with her insightful analysis. Indeed, even though she had missed the first part of the meeting, she was able to give, at the Chair's request, such a comprehensive and useful summary at the end of the day, quite dazzling us all. Her words of wisdom, advising all of us to stay focused on a heuristic set of core research questions, played a crucial shaping role for our work. We will miss her critical mind and passionate presence in our midst in the coming years, speaking out in particular for girls and young women."
Vivienne Wee, Director, WEMC Research Programme Consortium
"I too thought that she was a real presence for us."
Gerard Howe, Member (2006-7), WEMC Consortium Advisory Group
"I have known Lisa for many years and met her whenever I visited SOAS. She was a fine scholar and wonderful human being."
Bina Agarwal, Member, WEMC Consortium Advisory Group
"It is a great sadness indeed. I remember Elisabeth displaying such stamina at that CAG meeting, arriving straight from a long haul flight and impressing us tremendously with her continuous ability, late into the evening, in analysing the discussions and unpacking the relevant points and information in such a sharp and intelligent way. She was a very committed and generous spirited woman."
Tracy Tasker, Member, WEMC Consortium Advisory Group
"It is a great loss to all of us working in the area of women's empowerment, for Elisabeth Croll was someone who thought outside the box. I did not know Elisabeth when she accepted our invitation to be on our advisory group with such wonderful enthusiasm and generosity of spirit. But immediately upon reading her article "Amartya Sen's 100 Million Missing Women", I felt she was someone who would contribute enormously to our research. And so she did, even in the short time she spent with us as advisor. She will be sorely missed."
Farida Shaheed, Deputy Director, WEMC |