Let’s talk about feminist activism and the ‘development machine‘.

A kitchen table talk on politics, policies and experiences

with Wendy Harcourt (International Institute of Social Studies, The Hague)

and Sara De Jong (University of Vienna)

when: Monday, June 24, 3.30-5.30 pm

where: Seminarraum SG 3, 1090, Sensengasse 3/Stiege 1

Committed “gender activists” and feminists face a number of questions and dilemmas:

What are the relations between theory and practice, policies and criticism, work in academia and work within development institutions? In what ways are they complementary and/or conflicting?

What follows from theoretical analyses of global gender inequality for one’s personal engagement?

What can be the role of political interventions, e.g. by women’s NGOs, in an international frame?

Wendy Harcourt, renowned researcher in the field global feminist studies and long-term activist in numerous international women’s networks and initiatives, will start the meeting by sharing her insights and her experiences.

Then subsequently, all workshop participants will be invited to contribute their thoughts and views. You are welcome to prepare a short statement and/or a few questions on our topic!

We kindly ask for a preliminary registration until June 17 via e-mail to isabelle.garde@univie.ac.at, so that we can estimate the approximate number of participants.

The workshop will be held in English. Spontaneous translation English/German available!

Dr Wendy Harcourt is senior lecturer in social policy at the International Institute of Social Studies of the Erasmus University, The Hague. She has written extensively on sexual and reproductive rights, environment, globalization and development from a gender perspective. Through her work with a number of international networks (including Women in Development Europe [WIDE]) she is actively engaged in global feminist politics. Her monograph 'Body Politics in Development: Critical Debates in Gender and Development' (2009) received the 2010 FWSA Book Prize.