Irstel Jansen

Irstel is a social entrepreneur and human rights consultant with 20 years of work experience in tourism and international development, promoting social cohesion and advancing women’s and children’s rights in Sri Lanka’s tourism sector and beyond. She holds a master’s degree in International Law and Human Rights from The University of Amsterdam and is certified in gender equality by UNWTO and children’s rights by Harvard University.

Irstel serves as director of Sustainable Sri Lanka, a consultancy enhancing sustainability standards in the travel industry and trains industry stakeholders on gender equality and child protection. More recently, she heads The Women In Travel Collective, a pioneering initiative to create a supportive community for women in the Sri Lankan tourism sector, advocating for increased female participation, gender equity and challenging social norms. In partnership with Sisters of The Pekoe Trail, the initiative supports women in marginalized tea communities in Sri Lanka’s hill country.