Gender in Africa and the African Diaspora (GAAD) RIG

The purpose of this RIG is to strengthen the work of, and foster contact among, scholars interested in gender in Africa and the African diaspora, and the intersectionality of gender, sexuality, and feminism as related to Africa and the African diaspora. Our mission is to explore these topics from interdisciplinary perspectives and examine how they intersect with key political processes, power structures, and cultural narratives. We are interested in the diverse lives of women and men as they are shaped by gender, class, race, ethnicity, culture, nationhood projects, state policies, colonialism, and globalization. We hope to promote collaborative scholarship, create a supportive environment for scholars with interests in Africa and the African diaspora, and to increase the visibility of and understanding of these themes within the larger university community.

Membership is open, and we welcome faculty, graduate students, and community members.  The RIG meets once per term.  If you have an interest in this general topic, please contact the RIG coordinator listed below.

Our 2011-2012 plans include:

• welcoming visiting scholar Lioba Moshi to campus
• sharing the written scholarship of members including works-in-progress

• selecting and discussing interdisciplinary readings
• watching and discussing relevant films
• holding thematic discussion groups
• sponsoring brown bag talks