Global Gender Forum

The Global Gender Forum is a series of speakers and events related to contemporary women and girls around the world. It provides an opportunity for scholars, practitioners, students, and others to be informed about challenges women and girls face, their voices and visions, and progress toward more secure livelihoods, empowerment, and enhanced dignity through improved policies and programs.

Examining Violence Against Women in India: Changes, Challenges, and Futures

Thursday, April 11, 2013, 11:00 am - 1:00 pm
Lindner Commons, 6th Floor
1957 E Street NW, Washington DC

Refreshments will be provided
RSVP click here

The issue of violence against women in India was catapulted into international visibility with the remarkable media coverage of the gang-rape and subsequent death of a medical student in Delhi that took place on December 16, 2012. This panelist discussion will attempt to tackle such questions as: Why do women in India continue to suffer sexual and gender violence, arguably to increasing degrees? What are the mechanisms available for prevention, and what are the failures that sustain India's rape culture? What are the cultural, economic and political issues at stake?

Kavita Daiya, Assistant Professor, Department of English, GW

Deepa Ollapally, Director, The Rising Powers Initiative, GW

Mary Ellsberg, (panelist) Director, Global Women's Institute, GW

Zain Lakhani (panelist), Graduate Fellow, University of Pennsylvania

Daniel Moshenberg (panelist), Director, Women’s Studies, Associate Professor of English, GW

Aruna Rao (panelist), Practitioner-in-Residence, Global Gender Program, Institute of Global and International Studies, GW

This event is sponsored by the Rising Powers Initiative’s Asian Economic Challenges series, the Global Gender Program, the Global Women's Institute, and the Department of Women’s Studies

Migrant Care Work from Two Sides: Care Work in the U.S. and Families Care Workers Leave Behind
Wednesday, March 20, 2013

The Global Gender Program (GGP) at the Elliott School for International Affairs is pleased to announce its first-year Spring Roundtable panel, which is devoted to gender issues in migration and international development. It aims at bringing together scholars, researchers, practitioners, students, and activists to educate the public on the intersections between gender, migration, international development, economics, race, ethnicity, social class, and religion across disciplines. A discussion will follow with questions and answers from the audience.

Panelists will include:

Sonya Michel, professor of history at the University of Maryland, College Park, is a founding co-editor of the journal Social Politics: International Studies in Gender, State and Society, published by Oxford UP. Her research interests include migrant women and care provision in the developing and developed worlds.

Helma Lutz, professor of sociology and chair of Women and Gender Studies at Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany. She currently holds a research fellow position at the Woodrow Wilson Center, in Washington, DC. Her research interests include gender, migration, “care crisis,” and “care migration.”

Tunde Turai completed her PhD at Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest. She is a researcher at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Ethnographic Institute. She also teaches at the International Student Program of the Corvinus University. She is currently a Fulbright Exchange Scholar at the Woodrow Wilson Center. Her research interests include the care system and the social and economic constraints of the sending communities.

Gabrielle Oliveira, PhD student in Anthropology at Teachers College, Columbia University, in New York City. Her area of interest includes migration, transnational motherhood and care networks between New York and Mexico.

Drew McCormick graduated from Wheaton College, MA in 2012 and is currently completing a master’s program at SIT (School for International Training) Graduate Institute. As part of her master’s degree she is working as a research intern for the Institute for Women’s Policy Research. Drew is interested in international development and the role that U.S. foreign policy plays in the lives of women in developing nations.

The Roundtable will be moderated by:

Natacha Stevanovic-Fenn holds a PhD in sociology from Columbia University. Her area of interests includes migration, remittances, international development, gender and culture. She currently teaches a class on Migration, Gender, and International Development at the Elliott School for International Affairs, in the GGP.

International Women's Day: Ending Violence against Women: Inspiring Dialogue and Action
Monday, March 4, 2013

Click here to view the video of this event

Click here to read the blog about this event

The Global Gender Program (GW) and Gender at Work’s celebration of International Women’s Day will feature keynote speaker, Jody Williams. Jody Williams is the Nobel Prize Winner on the Nobel Women’s Initiative International Campaign to Stop Rape and Gender Violence in Conflict. The day’s first panel will discuss: Is violence against women a problem with a solution? The second panel will discuss: What responses work to end violence against women? The event will end with a film screening of In the Name of the Family: Honor Killings in North America.

This event is co-sponsored with Gender at Work

Getting More Women into Political Office: What Works?
Thursday, February 28, 2013

Click here to read the blog about this event

Keynote speaker:

Mona Lena Krook,
Associate Professor of Political Science, Rutgers University
"Electoral Quotas and Beyond: Strategies to Promote Women in Politics"

Panelists Include:

Jennie Burnet,
Professor of Anthropology, University of Louisville
“Gender Quotas & Women’s Representation in Rwanda: Is More Women Enough?”
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Megan Doherty,
Program manager for Middle East and North Africa, National Democratic Institute
“Women's Political Participation in Libya: Quotas as a Key Strategy for States in Transition”
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Sara Mia Noguera,
Chief of Studies and Projects Section, Department for Electoral Cooperation and Observation, Secretariat for Political Affairs, Organization of American States
“Can Election Observation be a Tool to Promote Women’s Political Participation?: the OAS experience in the Americas”
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Susannah Wellford Shakow,
Chair and Founder, Running Start
“The Importance of Starting Early”

Co-sponsored by the Global Gender Program and the National Democratic Institute

Activism and Aspirations: Women's Ground Experiences in Egypt with Dina Abou El Seoud
February 13, 2013

Dina Abou El Seoud is co-founder of Women's Revolutionary Coalition and owner of Dina's Hostel, the only Egyptian women owned and run hostel in Cairo, which also holds cultural events and exhibitions and is a hub for travelers, artists, journalists, and activists.

During the Egyptian revolutionary uprising, from January 25, 2011 until the ouster of Hosni Mubarak on February 11, women and men demonstrated together throughout Egypt. Women fought alongside men when they were attacked by the police and thugs, slept in Tahrir Square, and were martyred during these 18 days. In the days and weeks after Mubarak was ousted from power, women began to be sidelined as various groups were formed. Women were told that it was okay that they had participated in the revolution, but now it was time for them to go home and let men handle things. It was shocking for many women to hear this from their friends and people they thought to be quite liberal. As a result of such attitudes, Dina Abou El Seoud and others formed the Women's Revolutionary Coalition in order to empower women. For many people, including Dina, the revolutionary uprising was the first time in which they had become politicized. Thus in creating this coalition the goal was to help women be politically active in the "new Egypt." Over the past year, the Women's Revolutionary Coalition has become active in organizing with different NGOs and human rights groups in Egypt in order to help carve a space for women in politics and society in general. Dina is originally from Alexandria, but has lived and worked in Cairo for the past 10 years.

Co-sponsored with the International Studies and International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN)

Machik Weekend
November 2-4, 2012

Machik Weekend is an annual gathering in Washington DC that brings together a diverse community of people who support Machik's mission to incubate social innovation in Tibet. It provides a unique forum for conversation, exploration and action for people who share a passion both for the ideals of service and civic engagement as well as for the Tibetan people, their land and their culture.

Through roundtables and informal discussions, participants share their experiences and learn about the broader issues at stake in the project of social engagement. Guest speakers spotlight themes such as education and social entrepreneurship, and provide their reflections on challenges facing Tibet in a wider global context. Above all, Machik Weekend is a meeting of inspired individuals who share a common concern for our collective global future.

Co-sponsored with the Culture in Global Affairs Program

Migrant Women Workers in Southeast Asia: Challenges, Programs, and Best Practices
October 25, 2012

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Click here to read the blog about this event

• Opening remarks:
• Melanne Verveer, Ambassador-at-Large, Secretary's Office of Global Women's Issues, US Department of State

• Panelists:
• Jackie Pollock, MAP Foundation, (Thailand)
  Download PowerPoint presentation

• Mai Mai Twe, Women's Exchange (Burma/Thailand)
• Malu Marin, ACHIEVE (Philippines)
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• Wenchi Yu, Secretary’s Office of Global Women’s Issues, US Department of State
• Tim Ryan, Solidarity Center
• Jeffrey Wheeler, Bureau of International Labor Affairs, US Department of Labor
  Download PowerPoint presentation

• Christina Fink and Ariana Rabindranath, The George Washington University (discussants)

Wall Street Women: An Ethnographic View by Melissa S. Fisher
October 18, 2012

Melissa Fisher draws on fieldwork, archival research, and extensive interviews with a very successful cohort of first-generation Wall Street women. She charts the evolution of the women's careers, the growth of their political and economic clout, changes in the cultural climate on Wall Street, and their experiences of the 2008 financial collapse.

Co-sponsored with the Culture in Global Affairs Program

Women and Girls: Forces for Creating Disaster-Resilient Societies
October 11, 2012

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Click here to read the blog about this event

• Opening remarks:
• Carla Koppell, USAID

• Panelists:
• Andrea Burniske, Save the Children
• Anita Malley, USAID
• Jane Henrici, Institute for Women's Policy Research and the Elliott School, GW
• Leora Ward, International Rescue Committee
• Margaret Arnold, World Bank
• Sarah Williamson, Humanitarian Consultant

Co-sponsored with the World Bank's Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GRDRR)

National Action Plans on Women, Peace and Security
Wednesday, September 12, 2012

The Global Gender Program (GGP) is pleased to host a panel discussion organized by the Society for International Development and its Gender in Development Workgroup on the implementation of NAPs on Women, Peace and Security (UNSCR 1325).

• Panelists:
• Maria Butler, NGO Working Group for Women, Peace and Security - Women's International League for Peace and Freedom
• Jamille Bigio, Senior Policy Advisor in the Secretary's Office of Global Women's Issues at the Department of State
• Anne Vasara, Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of Finland.
• Moderator:
• Kelly McBride-Valdes, independent consultant.

Gender Equity in Tibetan Public Affairs: New Thoughts on a Democracy in Progress

Friday, July 20, 2012

Click here to read blog post

While great strides have been made in promoting democracy in the Tibetan exile community, Dr. B. Tsering's research suggests that women are, for the most part, still missing from Tibetan exile decision-making processes. B. Tsering discusses new findings and recommendations about: How to understand the development of democratic culture in the absence of women's voices? And what can be done to advance gender equality in the Tibetan public affairs?

Opening remarks by Tashi Ragbey, Visiting Scholar, Institute for Global and International Studies, GW; Co-founder and Strategic Director, Machik; Director, Tibet Sustainable Governance Program, University of Virginia

Building Capacities and Relationships to Empower Women and Transform Communities in Colombia
May 1, 2012

The discussion featured five Colombian community leaders who participated in "Building Capacities and Relationships to Empower Women and Transform Communities," a U.S. Department of State-sponsored Professional Fellows Program, in April 2012. They shared their stories of working in Colombia's underserved communities and personal experiences in the program.

Co-sponsored with GW's Latin American and Hemispheric Studies Program

Kudumbashrees in Kerala, India: Women-Oriented Community Development
April 9, 2012

Dr. S. Gregory, Associate Professor and Head, Department of Anthropology, Kannur University, Kerala; India & Fulbright Scholar, University of Chicago

Co-sponsored with GW's Culture in Global Affairs (CIGA) Seminar Series

Burma After the By-Elections: Taking Gender and Human Security Into Account
April 3, 2012

Blog post

• Panelists:
• Christina Fink, Professor of Practice, the Elliott School of International Affairs, GW
• Tom Malinowski, Washington Director, Human Rights Watch
• Mark Taylor, Senior Coordinator, Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, State Department
• Wenchi Yu, Senior Advisor, the Secretary's Office of Global Women's Issues, State Department

• Moderated by:
• Deepa Ollapally, Associate Director of the Sigur Center for Asian Studies, GW

Co-sponsored with GW's Sigur Center for Asian Studies

Rape in Times of War and Peace: Rethinking Sexual Violence and Postwar Justice in Peru
March 20, 2012

Jelke Boesten, Jennings Randolph Senior Fellow, U.S. Institute of Peace; Senior Lecturer in Social Development and Human Security, University of Leeds

Co-sponsored with GW's Latin American and Hemispheric Studies Program

International Women's Day 2012 at the Elliott School
March 8, 2012

Blog post

U.N. Peace Operations and Security Equality

• Louise Olsson, UNSCR 1325 Project Leader, Folke Bernadotte Academy
• Moderated by: Barbara Miller, Director, Global Gender Program, the Elliott School of International Affairs
• Watch the video

Women, War and Peace: Addressing Sexual Violence

• Jelke Boesten, Jennings Randolph Senior Fellow, United States Institute of Peace
• Dara Kay Cohen, Assistant Professor, Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota
• Kathleen Kuehnast, Director, Gender and Peacebuilding Center, United States Institute of Peace
• Moderated by: Chantal de Jonge Oudraat, Executive Director, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute North America (SIPRI North America)
• Moderated by: Kerry Frances Crawford, Graduate Fellow and Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Political Science, GW
• Watch the video

Improving Gender Equality: Informing Better Policy through Research in the Middle East, North Africa, and Beyond

• Rola Abdul-Latif, Senior Research Specialist, Applied Research Center, International Foundation for Electoral Systems
• Jane Henrici, Study Director, Institute for Women's Policy Research and Professorial Lecturer in International Affairs, GW
• Patti Petesch, Consultant, the World Bank
• Moderated by: Heidi Hartmann, President for Women's Policy and Research
• Watch the video

Gender and Civilian Security

• Maria Otero, Under Secretary, Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights, U.S. Department of State
• Watch the video

Co-sponsored with GW's Distinguished Women in International Affairs Series, GW's Security Policy Forum, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute North America (SIPRI North America), the Institute for Women's Policy Research (IWPR), and the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES)

Women's Leadership and Gender Equality in the Political Decision-Making Process in Cambodia, East Timor, and Vietnam
January 26, 2012

Blog post

• Endah Agustiana, Gender Adviser/Specialist

The Gender Asset and Wealth Gap: New Evidence from Ghana, Ecuador, and India
November 14, 2011

Blog post

• Caren Grown, Senior Gender Advisor, Bureau of Policy, Planning and Learning, USAID; Economist in Residence, American University

CARGO: Film Screening and Panel Discussion
September 26, 2011

Blog post

• Speakers:
• Andrea Powell, Founder and CEO, FAIR Fund
• Chris Cooper, Executive Producer, Twitch Post

Women in War Zones: Film Screening and Panel Discussion
September 20, 2011

Blog post

• Moderated by:
• Nemata Blyden, Associate Professor of History and International Affairs
  
  Panelists:
• Scott Blanding, Founder/Director, Women in War Zones
• Roger Luhiriri, Physician, Panzi Hospital, Democratic Republic of Congo

Combating Human Trafficking in South America: A Multi-Sectoral Approach
September 1, 2011

• Moderated and opening remarks by:
• Andrea Bertone, Director, Center for Gender Equity, FHI 360
  
  Panelists:
• Sebastian Ariel Bagini, Director, Control of Permanent Residency, National Immigration Directorate, Argentina
• Maria Luiza Duarte Araujo, Executive Coordinator, NGO Coletivo Mulher Vida, Brazil
• Tannya Gioconda Varela Coronel, Provincial Chief of Migration, Guayas, Ecuador
• Omar Alberto Matos Pardo, Lieutenant, Panama National Police, Panama

Annual James P. Grant Lecture and Roundtable: Implementing QDDR Recommendations on Gender Development
April 14, 2011

James P. Grant distinguished speaker:
Ambassador Melanne Verveer, Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues, U.S. Department of State

Watch the video

• Moderated and opening remarks by:
• Barbara Miller, Director, Global Gender Program
  
  Roundtable participants:
• Leigh Carter, Executive Director, Fonkoze USA
• Caren Grown, Senior Gender Advisor, USAID
• Nilufar Ahmad, Senior Gender Specialist, World Bank
• Winnie Tay, Director of Program Management, Plan International USA
• Anju Malhotra, Vice President for Research, Innovation, and Impact, International Center for Research on Women

Co-sponsored with the Collaborating Centers for Global Health and Development

Women Working for Women
March 7, 2011

• Opening remarks by:
• Barbara Miller, Director, Global Gender Program
  
  Moderated by:
  
• Afeefa Syeed, Senior Culture and Development Advisor, Asia and Middle East Bureaus, USAID
  
  Panelists:
• Cybéle Cochran, USAID/Conflict Management and Mitigation
• Rachel Flynn, International Medical Corps
• Megan Foster, Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN)
• Abigail Greenleaf, Global Health, United States Agency for International Development
• Monica Suber, United States Peace Corps
• Laura Van Voorhees, AED
  

No Peace Without Women
November 3, 2010
Watch the video

• Zainab Salbi, Founder and CEO, Women for Women International

Ensuring Vulnerable Women's Autonomy through Economic Independence and Professional Integration
October 28, 2010

• H.E. Aziz Mekouar, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco to the United States
• Aicha Ech-Channa, President, Association Solidarite Feminine (Women's Solidarity); 2009 Opus Prize Winner

Fighting Human Trafficking: Four Approaches by Local Organizations
October 18, 2010

• Representatives from FAIR Fund, Rebecca Project, Courtney's House and Shared Hope International

Working the Night Shift: Women in India's Call Center Industry
April 22, 2010

• Reena Patel, author, Working the Night Shift: Women in India's Call Center Industry

Global Women 2020: Challenges and Priorities over the Next Decade
April 8, 2010

• Katherine Blakeslee, Director, Office of Women in Development, U.S. Agency for International Development
• Mayra Buvinic, Senior Director, Gender and Development, Poverty Reduction and Economic Management, The World Bank
• Kathleen Kuehnast, Gender Advisor, Gender and Peacebuilding Initiative, U.S. Institute of Peace
• Alyse Nelson, President and CEO, Vital Voices Global Partnership
  
  Moderated by:
  
• Barbara Miller, Chair, GW Global Women's Initiative; Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs, Elliott School of International Affairs, GW

What Lies Ahead: The Iraqi Elections, A Gendered Perspective
March 26, 2010

• Ambassador Feisal Istrabadi, former Iraqi Deputy Permanent Representative of Iraq to the UN
• Nesreen Al Barwari, former Iraqi Minister of Municipalities and Public Works
• Mishkat Al Moumin, former Iraqi Minister of the Environment

Female-Selective Abortion as Genocide: The Situation in India
March 24, 2010

• Sabu George, Independent Researcher, New Delhi

Film: Poto Mitan: Haitian Women, Pillars of the Global Economy
March 8, 2010

• Mark Schuller, Co-producer and Co-director of Poto Mitan; Assistant Professor, City University of New York
• Julie Meyer, Director, Lambi Fund
• Leigh Carter, Executive Director, Fonkoze USA

Conflicts in Israeli Feminism and the Question of Palestine
February 24, 2010

• Smadar Lavie, Associate Professor of Studies in Women and Gender, University of Virginia
  
  Co-sponsored by the Culture in Global Affairs (CIGA) program

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