September 2013


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A vibrant and productive entity on The UWI campus, the Institute for Gender and Development Studies (IGDS), proudly marks its 20th anniversary in the 2013-2014 academic year.

As part of the celebrations, commemorative events are carded to take place across the wider UWI family at the IGDS: the Nita Barrow Unit at Cave Hill, Barbados, and the IGDS: Regional Coordinating Unit and Mona Unit in Jamaica. The flagship event, however, is an International Conference on Gender Transformations in the Caribbean, which will take place from 6-8 November 2013, at The UWI, St. Augustine Campus, Trinidad and Tobago.

The IGDS, St. Augustine Unit will host this three-day regional conference on behalf of all the units.

The purpose of the conference is to bring together the main players who were responsible for its development and expansion, to highlight and promote the interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary discourses in the areas of Caribbean and diasporic research on gender and to continue the succession planning and handing over to new generations of scholars.

The research theme of the conference, “Continuities, Challenges and Transformations in Caribbean Gender Relations,” allows for this blend of joyful reunion and embracing of new partners in the emancipatory project that is Caribbean gender and feminist studies. Over the two days of presentations, scholars drawn from the Caribbean, USA, Canada, UK and elsewhere will deal with topics that range from environmentalism and eco-design in Guadeloupe to blogging and cyberfeminisms to language and performance in Bolivian wrestling. The range of presentations reflects the diversity of gender studies within and outside of the Caribbean and the potential scholarship waiting to be tapped.

The conference opens with an address by Dr Alissa Trotz of the University of Toronto on Wednesday 6 November, at the Learning Resource Centre Auditorium which will be the hub of its activities. The conference comes to a close with bang not a whimper, in an IGDS Fundraising Banquet at the Health Economics Unit Auditorium, Gordon Street, on Friday 8 November. The final event will honour and feature addresses by Professor the Honourable Barbara Bailey and Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, Principal of the Cave Hill Campus.

All events are open to the public and IGDS welcomes The UWI Community to celebrate with us for our 20th Anniversary.

For more information on how you can be a part of our regional legacy please visit the IGDS conference website at http://sta.uwi.edu/igds/20thanniversary/conference/index.asp or email us at igdssau2013@sta.uwi.edu.