2021

The 2021 Women and Gender in Development Conference Out of the Theory and Into the Field: A Dialogue on Gendered Approaches to Inclusive Rural Development looked different than it did in 2019. Given the ongoing impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic the Virginia Tech's Women and Gender in International Development Program made the decision to transition the conference to a completely virtual event. The conference welcomed over 300 attendees, from 22 different countries, to partake in two and half days of synchronous programing, networking opportunities, and the conference's asynchronous programing and learn from gender experts and international agriculture experts promoting inclusive agriculture and rural development. Please use the links below to access the recordings from the conference's Keynote Addresses, Panels, World Cafe Presentations, and 4 Minute Flashtalks.

Keynote Speaker

Gender Transformative Food Systems: Addressing structural and institutional barriers to gender equality in food systems - Jemimah Njuki - Africa Director International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)
Feminist food justice: Overcoming intersectional inequities in U.S. and international food systems - Carolyn Sachs - Professor Emerita of Rural Sociology and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Pennsylvania State University

World Cafe

From intentions to outcomes: How to ensure that agricultural development projects empower women? - Dr. Hazel Malapit - Senior Research Coordinator, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)
A Time-use Study: An Unexpected Opportunity to Address Gender-Based Violence - Abigail Spangler - Associate Director, Gender and Youth ACDI/VOCA
Our Development, Our Right: A Gender Approach Towards Adolescent Girls Development in Blantyre and Chikwawa - Judith Pangani - Project Coordinator Centre for Alternatives for Victimized Women and Children (CAVWOC)
Improving our own practices: A critical reflection of fieldwork - Dr. Mary T. Rodriguez - Assistant Professor - Community Leadership College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES), Ohio State University
Towards More Gender-Responsive Agricultural Research: Lessons Learned in Implementing Programs to Empower Young Women in Agricultural Sciences. - Carmen Benson - Gender, Youth, and Research Program Advisor GRAIN Project @ Michigan State University
Reaching Women in Agriculture Value Chains: TechnoServe’s Experience in the Benin Cashew Sector - Ella Wama - Rural Economy and Gender Specialist , Techno Serve
Using Skits to Encourage Male Engagement in Exclusive Breast Feeding in Mozambique - Dr. Sofia Costa - Director, Center for Health Research and Services, Universidade Lúrio, Mozambique & Dr.Jessica Agnew, Assistant Director, Research, Operations, and Program Management, Center for International Research, Education, and Development, Virginia Tech

4Minute Flashtalk

Women and Sustainable Timber Management: Shifting Roles from Assigned Cook to Strategic Decision-maker - Ana Espada PhD Candidate in Forest Resources and Conservation, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Florida
Rest Day and Women Domestic Worker's Wellbeing: Evidence from Indonesian Domestic Workers in Hong Kong - Fikriyah Winata - University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
More than a Selfie: How self-portraits through Photovoice Methodology Indicated Incidents of Independence - Jessica Rae Spence - Program Coordinator, Texas A&M University
Women Empowerment: Reflections from Microfinance-based Field Inferences in India - Ruchi Upadhyay - University of Gujarat
Gender and Decision-making: Quinoa Production among Indigenous Women in Rural Ecuador - Sumac Elisa Cardenas Oleas - Iowa State University

Panel

Food systems crisis: Strengthening gender equality and resiliency - Dr. Hazel Malapit - Senior Research Coordinator, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)
Food systems crisis: Strengthening gender equality and resiliency - Mary Peabody Community Economic Development Specialist, and founding director of Women's Ag Network (WAgN) and the UVM Extension New Farmer project University of Vermont (UVM) Extension
Masculinities and engaging men in conversations on gender equality and women’s empowerment - Dr. Gary Barker- President and CEO, Promundo
Masculinities and engaging men in conversations on gender equality and women’s empowerment - Laxman Belbase, M. Sc. - Global Co-Director, MenEngage
Big Questions - Deborah Rubin - Co-Director and Owner Cultural Practice, LLC

Mentoring/Careers Conversation

Amanda Crump - Assistant Professor of Teaching International Agricultural Development University of California, Davis
Batamaka Some - West Africa Regional Representative McKnight Foundation’s Collaborative Crop Research Program
Daniel Sumner - Assistant Director, Women and Gender in International Development VT Center for International Research, Education, and Development (CIRED)
Halimah DeShong - The University Of The West Indies
Beth Holtzman - Coordinator, Women’s Agricultural Network, New Farmer Project and Women's Agricultural Network (WAgN) University of Vermont Extension
Laura Zseleczky - Communications Specialist Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Fish

Women, land, and power: How does gender intersect with agricultural decision-making and conservation in the U.S.?

Angie Carter - Board Member Women, Food and Agriculture Network
Gabrielle Roesch-McNally - Director, Women for the Land Initiative American Farmland Trust

The colonial development experiment nexus and its gender, race and class impacts in the Caribbean

Tami Navarro - Associate Director Barnard Center for Research on Women
Halimah DeShong - Senior Lecturer & Head, Institute for Gender & Development Studies, The University Of The West Indies