Anu Gender Institute Report 2013-2014
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
ANU GENDER INSTITUTE REPORT 2013-2014 genderinstitute.anu.edu.au CONTENTS From the Convener 2 People and Structure of the Gender Institute 4 Events Celebration: Gender Institute 2nd and 3rd Anniversary events 8-9 Engagement with contemporary public affairs and policy 10 Signature Events 11-14 Violence Against Women 15 Women Peace and Security Agenda 2013-2014 16-18 Feminist Theory and Practice 19 Promoting Feminist Scholarship 20 Transnational Feminisms 21 Showcasing Women's Achievements 22 Australian Inspiring Women Public Lecture 22 Women in Academia 23 Practical Support for Women in Academia 24 Supporting Graduate Students and Early Career Researchers 26 Undergraduate Focus 28-29 Outreach 30 Consultancy 31 ANU Inspiring Women 32-33 International Women's Day 34 Members News 35 Prizes for Excellence in Gender Research 36-37 Fellowship Report 38 Grants 39 ANU Gender Institute PhD Scholarship Report 40 Future Events 41 ANU Gender Institute Report 2013-2014 1 FROM THE CONVENER “The ANU Gender Institute is a unique and important model, combining a very broad range of scholarly interests with highly practical concerns for gender equality.” Particularly strong points of focus have been our engagement with the Women, Peace and Security agenda following from UN Resolution 1325; our academic and practical interest in the problems of realising gender equality in workplaces; tracking feminist developments in scholarship; and engaging with questions of public interest, where gender shapes contemporary social and political life. As convener since the start of 2013, I have had many wonderful opportunities to meet with our members and friends, at ANU and beyond. My speaking invitations have included those from staff associations at CSIRO and Government House, as well as from the women’s caucus of the Australian Education Union. It has been a pleasure to attend and open many of the workshops and conferences supported by our grants, always a great opportunity to learn about what is happening at the cutting edge of scholarship, activism and policy. I attended meetings of the International It is with great pleasure that I bring you this report of the last Alliance of Research Universities and the EU Gender Summit, two year’s activities at the ANU Gender Institute. We have finding out how much we share with international colleagues grown and flourished, in many respects exceeding the in our ambitions to improve women’s status in academia. In all expectations of those we fondly think of as our ‘founding these contexts it becomes evident that the ANU Gender mothers’ – academic leaders who advocated powerfully for Institute is a unique and important model, combining a very our establishment in 2010 and who have been closely involved broad range of scholarly interests with highly practical ever since. The Gender Institute has developed an innovative and unique model, building gender research, education and concerns for gender equality. outreach with a national and international impact as well as Reflecting our policy work, in 2014 the Gender Institute was driving progress on gender equity at ANU and beyond. Our asked to prepare an Options Paper for the Office for Women, network brings together internationally excellent researchers advising on a model to deliver the Australian chapter of the and educators with expertise in a wide range of fields. We are Women in Public Service Project (WPSP). Australia has especially pleased by the internal and external partnerships partnered with the Woodrow Wilson Center for International that have developed since our establishment and the Scholars (Wilson Center) in this global initiative aimed at collaborations and conversations flowing from these continue improving the representation of women in public service. to enrich us. The overarching mission of the Women in Public Service The last two years have been extremely full and productive for Project is: us, hosting visiting scholars from all corners of the globe as well as high profile leaders and public figures at ANU. “To build a generation of women leaders who will invest Examples fill the pages that follow and we begin this report in their countries and communities, provide leadership in with some highlights, including welcome visits from UN their governments, and change the way global solutions Women’s Executive Director, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka are forged. To educate and train a new generation of and from Australia’ s Sex Discrimination Commissioner women to enter the public sector with the strategic Elizabeth Broderick. leadership skills, energy, and commitment required to tackle today’s global challenges.” Our events draw audiences and participants from across Canberra as well as across campus, and we are proud to This was a very exciting opportunity for us to connect with an have been the enablers of many important and influential influential global network so closely aligned with our own discussions in the nation’s capital. ambitions to realise gender equality. Further engagements 2 ANU Gender Institute with policy included a discussion paper, “Falling through the Both Susan and Kim were, moreover, named as ‘Women of Net?” provided to UN Women, that drew upon the Influence’ at the Australian Financial Review and Westpac 100 outstanding expertise regarding gender issues in the Pacific of 'Women of Influence' Awards. In addition, several large our ANU Gender Institute scholars. external grants and prestigious fellowships pursuing gender and feminist research have been won by our members. More In a welcome development for ANU, in 2014 the Vice- details of these and other achievements can be found in the Chancellor, Professor Ian Young AO, established and chaired news section below. a Gender Oversight Committee to provide leadership and direction in advancing the goals set out in the strategic plan In 2013-4 a very able team has supported and enhanced the for ANU by 2020. There remains a great deal to be done at work of the ANU Gender Institute. Martina Fechner played an ANU if the equity goals proposed in that document are to be important role in facilitating the transition from a home in the met. The Gender Institute management committee have been College of Law to the College of Arts and Social Sciences (the very active in this space, and many members have been convener’s college houses the Institute) and helped ensure working at equity and diversity initiatives. Our grants have continuity. She brought great warmth and humour to helped support a highly successful conference on Diversity in organising our many events. Barbara Clare took over the main Astronomy; the creation of a website for the Women in administrator role in 2014 with skill and verve, doing much to Biology network, as well as seminars on women in academia improve our website and newsletter, as well as aspects of our and in Public Service. We especially applaud the efforts of event management. Vital support has also been provided by ‘male champions’, notably Nobel Laureate Professor Brian Clare Southerton, Karen Smith and Karen Downing. Warm Schmidt, AC, in reinforcing the message that realising gender thanks to Stella Armstrong and her team in the Joint Office for equity is both an urgent matter of justice and essential for the the Schools of Philosophy and History for their regular progress of knowledge and innovation in the 21st Century. support. Our new administrator in 2015 is Jennifer Clynk, who has recently submitted a PhD thesis in Interdisciplinary “Particularly strong points Humanities at ANU, and brings a wide range of talents to the role. We thank the College of Arts and Social Sciences for of focus have been our hosting the Institute in 2013-14, and on into 2015. engagement with the The Management Committee is a very fine team, with whom it is a great privilege to work. My warmest thanks to Hilary Women, Peace and Security Charlesworth, Celine D’Orgeville, Margaret Jolly, Helen Keane agenda following from and Kim Rubenstein for your wise council and unfailing good humour. Inge Saris also gave great service to the Gender UN Resolution 1325; our Institute throughout 2013, and her input is much missed. academic and practical interest in the problems of Dr Fiona Jenkins Senior Lecturer, School of Philosophy realising gender equality in Research School of Social Sciences workplaces; tracking feminist College of Arts and Social Sciences developments in scholarship; and engaging with questions of public interest, where gender shapes contemporary social and political life.” There can be no doubt that we have many exceptional women at ANU and the Gender Institute plays a key role in supporting their work and foregrounding their achievements to the wider community. To give just a couple of highlights over the last 2 years: Professor Kim Rubenstein received the Edna Ryan award for Leadership in 2013, which acknowledges and celebrates women who are prepared to make their lives political and who are making a feminist difference, and Dr Susan Harris-Rimmer attended the Commission on the Status of Women in New York in 2014. ANU Gender Institute Report 2013-2014 3 PEOPLE AND STRUCTURE OF THE GENDER INSTITUTE Convener of the Gender Institute Dr Fiona Jenkins, senior lecturer in the School of Philosophy, Research School of Social Sciences in the College of Arts and Social Sciences, assumed the role as convener of the Gender Institute in 2013. Dr Jenkins’ own research covers two projects, one on Judith Butler, which focuses on questions of political legitimacy, violence and non-violence,