 As a student of gender, I’m always amazed at how intricately the gender concept can be adapted and how it affects every area of education and society. The Institute of Gender and Development Studies (IGDS), delivers interdisciplinary programmes that provide students with the background to promote social justice, and transform gender relations in the Caribbean.
Gender based courses can be found in almost every department at the St. Augustine Campus, from Life Sciences, to Liberal Arts, Behavioural Sciences, and Agriculture. Gender courses are a great way to network across the campus.
Because of the diversity these courses offer, students from every faculty can engage in gender courses and find its relevance to their area of study
Keizel Kydd, a PhD student in Chemistry, for instance, engaged in the IGDS project, a vacation camp for the Women Gender Water Network as Camp Director. The camp won the prestigious Atlantic LNG Sustainability Award for Corporate Responsibility.
Awards open the door to opportunities for funding and the expansion of existing projects, allowing for further student involvement. It may not be common knowledge, but students can freely take part in projects carried out by the Institute.
As part of the Institute’s Commitment to Outreach, UWI students were also heavily involved with the “Break the Silence” campaign to end child sex abuse. This campaign, symbolized by the Blue Teddy, allowed students to put the theory into action, winning several advertising awards for its impact, namely, The Advertising Agencies Association of T&T Creative Excellence Award: Best in Show, as well as the Gold Award for Public Service: Multi Media Campaign.
To me, the fantastic thing about studying gender is its relevance to the real world. It puts students in a position of knowledge and power, so they can facilitate necessary social justice.
For instance, Anusha Ragbir, a PhD student in Interdisciplinary Gender Studies, helped in facilitating a Public Forum on the Marriage Act, discussing the marital age of girls and women in Trinidad and Tobago.
From legislature to health care, it’s impossible to remove gender studies from the mix. Sir George Alleyne, Chancellor of The UWI, said it well.
“To remove gender from consideration as an important social category is inimical to the health of both women and men. Health therefore cannot and must not be degendered.”
I daresay that applies to everything.
Warren Chanansingh has been introduced to gender courses while doing his BSc Psychology and Communication Studies (Double Major), and believes it has changed his life forever.
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