Registration now open for 2021 Women and Gender in Development Virtual Conference

The Women and Gender in Development (WGD) team at CIRED is preparing for the second Women and Gender in Development Conference, this time a virtual, online event due to the ongoing COVID-19 global pandemic. Titled “Women and Gender in Development Virtual Conference 2021: Out of the theory & into the field—A dialogue on gendered approaches to inclusive rural development,” the event will take place February 23-26, 2021. It includes two days of asynchronous, pre-event material and networking and an optional workshop, and two half-days of synchronous programming. 

The conference will create an environment where students, early career faculty, practitioners, and extension professionals are able to learn from gender experts and international agriculture experts promoting inclusive agriculture and rural development. Once again, we will focus on research, practice, and methods, this time with a dialogue between people working internationally and domestically. The conference will foster dialogue between organizations and professionals engaged in the international development sphere and those that are engaged in US-based research, outreach, and development. It will offer plenty of opportunities for engagement, networking, and discussion. 

Scholars, students, and practitioners alike are welcome to submit abstracts for the poster session, and students are invited to compete in an undergraduate and graduate poster competition. Masters and Ph.D. students who have completed their research are also invited to compete in new four-minute student flash talks, inspired by the Three Minute Thesis (3MT) research communication competition developed by the University of Queensland in Australia and held in academic institutions around the world. Folks will also enjoy a virtual career panel as well as extensive networking with other participants through the popular events app, Whova.

Keynote speakers are Jemimah Njuki from Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and Carolyn Sachs from Pennsylvania State University. Panelists include experts from the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), the Women’s Ag Network (WAgN), Promundo U.S., MenEngage, the Barnard Center for Research on Women, and the United Nations.

Early registration, starting October 26, will be $20 for all students, $30 for other Virginia Tech (non-student, including Cooperative Extension), and $40 for all others. Scholarships are available. Space is limited.

The conference is supported by the Innovation for Rural Entrepreneurs and Communities, grant no. 2020-67023-30959, from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture. It is also sponsored by the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Academic Programs.

Visit the conference website or Twitter (@wgdconf) as the date gets closer for more information. If you have any questions, please email us at womengenderdev@gmail.com and use 2020 WGD Conf in the subject heading.