Conference Agenda

This roundtable will explore different feminist approaches to understanding women's agency and empowerment. These concepts are widely used both among scholars, practitioners, and those involved in advocacy on feminist issues. There are many tensions expressed in the literature. One issue is whether understandings of agency and empowerment must be only considered within a local context or whether there are broader understandings of these concepts. A second is the extent to which empowerment and agency are relevant at the individual levels and at the collective levels. Third, how does intersectionality shape our understandings of empowerment and agency? Finally, feminists disagree on the extent to which it is useful or possible to measure empowerment and agency. Using a roundtable format, Cheryl Doss will moderate the roundtable which will include Naila Kabeer (LSE), Yaliwe Clark (UCT), and Hazel Malapit (IFPRI). (I am waiting on confirmation from 1-2 others). The format will be designed to promote dialogue among the roundtable speakers and the audience.