Meet UNSW’s 2025 Women in Business Ambassadors

The UNSW Business School is committed to gender equity and inclusion by embracing the principles of UNSW's first Gender Equity Strategy to enshrine inclusive practices and enable students and staff of all genders to feel valued, respected and able to be their authentic selves.

To this end, each year UNSW Business School appoints x5-7 Women in Business Ambassadors (WIBA) to support and uplift female-identifying students across the undergraduate disciplines where females are typically underrepresented:

• Banking and Finance
• Economics
• Information Systems and Technology Management
• Risk and Actuarial Studies

This is an exciting leadership development opportunity for 2nd or 3rd-year female-identifying undergraduate students who are studying either Risk and Actuarial Studies, Information Systems, Banking and Finance, or Economics and have a passion for the promotion of young female participation and educational development in these areas.

UNSW Business School believes it crucial for the student voice and experience to be incorporated into the work the UNSW Business School Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) team carries out throughout the year and the WIBA play a leadership role within our student engagement, representation, and advocacy as part of the UNSW Business Schools 2021+ strategy.

The UNSW Business School EDI is honoured to introduce you to one of our 2025 Women in Business Ambassadors: Jeeviha Sangar, UNSW Bachelor of Commerce (Finance)/ B. Economics (Macroeconomics and Financial Markets). 

Dream career or industry to work at: Consultant / Consulting 

Why did you choose a Business Degree? And what led you to study at UNSW?

In high school, I had a love-hate relationship with Economics—it was challenging but intellectually stimulating, and I enjoyed grappling with economic theory, opportunity cost, and policy debates.

Wanting to make the most of university, I pursued a double degree in Economics and Commerce, a combination I found complementary and one that was uniquely offered at UNSW.

Like many of my peers, I entered uni unsure of my future, but the flexibility of the Commerce degree—and even the much-debated trimester system—allowed me to explore different fields and discover what truly interested me.

How has your experience helped you make a positive impact in your degree, career and/or community?

My experience has connected me with professionals in the corporate world who have offered valuable guidance and insight into the realities of finance and economics, shaping my understanding of the career I want and the life I hope to build.

These interactions have helped me clarify my goals and develop a clearer sense of identity and purpose within my degree. Most importantly, I’ve been able to give back to my community by encouraging young girls, especially women of colour, to pursue their passions and step confidently into fields often dominated by men.

How has UNSW prepared you to lead in the workplace and community once you graduate?

UNSW has prepared me to lead in the workplace and community by offering career-focused, no-credit courses like COMM0999, COMM1999, and COMM3999, which provide tailored guidance and resources to help students clarify their career paths.

The integrated first-year Commerce program equips students with a broad skill set and hands-on experiences that go beyond theory, allowing us to explore our interests and develop practical abilities early on.

Work Integrated Learning (WIL) courses further enhance this preparation by offering real industry experience, setting UNSW students apart and ensuring we graduate with the confidence and readiness to contribute meaningfully in professional environments.

How is UNSW Business School helping to improve female representation in busines

UNSW Business School supports female representation in business by hosting events that connect industry professionals with young women, often still in high school, to expand their understanding of potential career paths and inspire them to pursue their ambitions.

These initiatives help break down stereotypes and empower young women by showing them what’s possible and how to get there. I would love to be part of this effort by mentoring and sharing my own journey to encourage greater confidence and representation in fields currently underrepresented by women; ie. Tech, Economics, Finance etc.

What inspires you to champion gender equality and female representation?

As a woman of colour, I’ve often been met with stereotypes and underestimated because of my ethnicity and gender, which fuels my determination to prove—to myself and to those around me—that I am just as capable of achieving my goals as everyone else around me.

I’m inspired by the strength of the women who came before me, whose resilience and progress have paved the way for my own journey. Championing gender equality is my way of continuing that legacy, so the next generation of women can grow up with more confidence in their abilities and fewer barriers in their path.

Why did you apply to be a Women in Business Ambassador and what do you hope to achieve?

I applied to be a Women in Business Ambassador because I want the women in my community to see themselves as they truly are—capable, intelligent, and worthy of every opportunity.

Women are so often told they exist for their beauty, and while it’s important to feel beautiful, I want them to know they are also allowed to be fiercely educated, deeply skilled, and fully in control of the lives they choose to lead.

Through this role, I hope to empower young women to go beyond what they’ve been told they can be and create their own understanding of who they are, irrespective of societal standards and expectations.

UNSW Business School is committed to identifying and addressing the inequities and challenges facing women in higher education and research. We have implemented several strategies to ensure equity in student recruitment, retention, development opportunities and the promotion of women in both academic and professional staff roles.

Find out more about this and other Women in Business initiatives here.