A network of gender and citizenship studies
Gender studies are widely included in academic programmes in many countries, particularly Australia, Canada and the United States as well as countries in northern Europe. However, in universities in southern Europe and Latin America, gender studies are still struggling to be recognised. A collaborative research effort has implemented programmes at both the masters and doctoral degree levels in national educational institutions. However, there was a need to merge these efforts and move forward with comparative research. GENDERCIT (Gender and citizenship), an EU-funded project, therefore set out to consolidate the institutional element of existing research and training programmes involving gender issues. The various approaches and perspectives of the researchers enriched the work as they promoted a transfer of knowledge between European and Latin American universities specialising in gender studies. Mobility actions were a primary focus of the project that allowed 163 researchers from Europe and Latin America to partner in another continent. Activities varied from participation in conferences to field work and training. Four main events and one kick-off meeting led to the creation of the network and a strong critical review regarding gender and citizenship. There were many results and conclusions of GENDERCIT work and its goals. These include analysis and debate on the notions of gender feminism, postcolonial studies and social rights. The conferences and seminars that took place helped to reinforce the importance of gender studies in academia. Analysis of local contexts and transfer of knowledge was made possible through agents such as cultural centres, institutions and policymakers. New graduate or postgraduate programs in gender and internationalisation were also created. Furthermore, a permanent network, Gendermundus, was established with this website(opens in new window), which has grown via new collaborations with research centres and universities of partner countries.