The Gender Committee’s Business Meeting, 27 Feb, 2007

Shirley Miske of Miske Witt & Associates and Karen Monkman of DePaul University presided at the meeting. Karen Monkman and Nancy Kendall of the University of Wisconsin-Madison serve as co-chairs elect, and Raya Hegeman of the University of Minnesota as secretary-treasurer of the 2007 Committee.  

After the old business portion (included in the Report to the Board of Directors) and announcements re: WCCES, the Meeting considered the 2007 Symposium and how to strengthen it. This year’s speakers’ panels were commended as very informative in providing a macro view of gender issues. It was suggested that in the future micro voices should be brought in as well. The methodological discussion in the afternoon session was appreciated. A discussion ensued that in the main the contributors to the Symposium still equated girls with gender; a reminder seems necessary that gender is not about women only. The discussion was still focused on girls, where we need to look at women teachers, women at decision making levels, look at a bigger level than getting girls into school – as well as some more focused contributions, such as on masculinity. This lead into a conceptual discussion about what gender is and how it has gotten lost in the discussion about girls’ education.  

Symposium 2008 brainstorming session

Nancy Kendall presented the following suggestions:

• New directions piece – highlighting graduate students
• Methods, methodology focused panel
• Gender and sexuality, race, class, etc
• Pre-conference Workshop (all day) – pros and cons (could bring outside speakers in New York easily, would be dedicated – not conflicting with other presentations, But would bring extra costs – hotels and such)

The Meeting gave the following ideas and feedback:

        o Group sessions in 2006 were great for getting to know people and interact with other people in gender – More  
           personal, small groups good.
        o Link up with an org like UNICEF and try to do something collaboratively in their location, not just at 
           conference location – Jasmina Josic to contact UNIFEM? Changu to contact UNICEF? IRC and Women’s
           Commission in NY. Double check with CIES to make sure not contacting same orgs. Interesting ed. 
           initiatives in NY City (NY schools, language, etc). Metro International to get in contact with NY schools.
           Community based initiatives (to visit or have come – Cathryn Magno will look into that if we want).
        o Interactive component of some sort. i.e. doing something before hand collaboratively with other orgs. And
           small interactive groups. Small tables with small groups (10 min) to talk and move – round table discussions
           with many people presenting people stay and go (Format – large group and small group at least every other
           year for people to have conversations).
        o Expand for an extra day – free workshop, lunch discussion – sponsor for evening reception for informal
           conversations among individuals – Q and A informal time - Nice to have a separate symposium so it does not
           conflict with other presentations – workshop or lunch hour.
        o Gage cost for pre-conference – email survey – small groups over lunch.
        o Mixed panels with more experienced speakers and grad students on the same panels – levels hierarchies.
        o Charge again for lunch, or have a lunch hour to have orgs come and table - Lunch – good for informal
           interaction.
        o How to get money that is out there for individual research.
        o Gender issues as related to leadership – advancing women in career tracks – non-formal adult education
        o Masculinity – including men and boys

A further item may be added after 5/4/2007.

Submitted by Vilma Seeberg based on notes by Raya Hegeman
 

Committee Meeting
CIES, Baltimore, 2007
Feb. 27, 2007

Agenda:
Call to order
Reports (read by Raya)
Old Business
New Business

     1.  Announcements: WCCES – gender strands, gender network, evaluations

     2.  Gen and Ed Committee budge – photocopies; food; non-CIES speakers; materials, enrollment drive, service
          (priorities for spending)

                    a. Prioritize how we are going to spend funds?
                    b. Should we invite in non-CIES speakers?
                    c. Are people interested in coming away from symposium with more materials?
                    d. Should we have an enrollment drive?
                    e. Service activity – women’s NGO in area of conference?
                    f.  What would a rainy day be? What should we save the money for?

→ Group not as interested in budget, just want quality interactions in symposium.

• Monthly or bimonthly newsletter – people can contact each other for collaborative work. If on a regular newsletter things are more likely to happen – perhaps an e-mail newsletter. Yongling and Raya will moderate newsletter – Quarterly or 3 times a year.  (mini book reviews, people more collected to agency world put up current events, disseminating information, could be articles published through committee as well)