Speakers
Keynote Speaker
Dr. Carolina Garcia
She is currently a Banting Postdoctoral Fellow at Concordia University, affiliated with the Simone de Beauvoir Institute.
Presentation Title: Beyond Empowerment: Feminist Critiques of Development, Migration, and Corporate Power
Carolina Garcia holds a PhD in Social Sciences from the Universidade Estadual de Campinas. She is currently a Banting Postdoctoral Fellow at Concordia University, affiliated with the Simone de Beauvoir Institute. Her research critically engages with the intersections of gender, race, labor, and migration through a transnational feminist lens. Carolina’s work explores the sociology of work and transnational feminisms, analyzing how international organizations, corporate actors, and neoliberal forms of governance frame women—particularly those from the Global South—as untapped resources for economic development. Her research reveals how classed and racialized narratives are embedded in neocolonial logics that uphold global inequalities while constructing idealized figures of economically active female citizens. Her current project investigates the experiences of migrant women in Québec engaged in self-employment and microentrepreneurship, focusing on how labor, bodily self-management, and entrepreneurial discourses intersect to sustain precarious livelihoods. She brings together critical feminist approaches to labor, racial capitalism, and migration to examine the structural conditions shaping women’s economic trajectories across borders
WOMENSCONF Highlighted Speakers
Dr. Peggy Ann Bloomer
Dr. Peggy Ann Bloomer is a researcher, designer, and media scholar specializing in visual culture, digital aesthetics, and the philosophy of technology. She holds a Ph.D. in Media and Communications from the European Graduate School and serves as an Assistant Professor of Art & Design at Central Connecticut State University. Her interdisciplinary work examines AI governance, digital mediation, and image individuation. As a published scholar and exhibiting photographer, she connects design, media studies, and critical theory to explore the evolving landscape of digital culture.
Ms. Yunning Wang
Yunning Wang is a graduate student in Anthropology at Seoul National University. Her interests include language learning and travel. Her research focuses on feminism, religion, and heritage.
Meet some of our Past Speakers
Dr. Judit Balatonyi
University of Pécs, Hungary
Presentation Title:
The Myths of Submissive and Agent Woman: Marriage Research from a Male and Female Perspective
Judit Balatonyi is an assistant professor and vice-head of the Department of European Ethnology – Cultural Anthropology (University of Pécs, Hungary). She received her PhD degree from the Interdisciplinary PhD School, Program for European Ethnology and Cultural Anthropology in 2016. Her current research focuses of the changing meanings, patterns, roles, and functions of the marriage at multiple sites and in several social milieus in the 21st century Hungary. The research aims to study how marriage reflect the social, economic, and political changes and what differences and similarities can be found in all these. The research also focuses on the examination how ideologies, practices and judicial rules related to marriage mutually affect each other, and thus contribute to social change.
Dr. Jennifer Bone
Session Chair
Jennifer Bone, Ph.D., is an associate teaching professor at the University of Colorado. Jennifer’s research examines communicative practices that create barriers for women’s advancement in the workplace. Specifically, she seeks to understand how gender norms impact women at work. Jennifer has published articles in journals including Women’s Studies in Communication.
Prof. Jingjing Hou
Jingjing HOU is a distinguished Professor of Education with a diverse and extensive academic background. She earned her PhD in Education from Nanjing Normal University in 2004, and her commitment to academic excellence led her to undertake a visiting scholar program at the University of California, Berkeley, sponsored by the Department of Education of Jiangsu Province from 2013 to 2014. Further enriching her international experience, Jingjing pursued visiting student opportunities at Roehampton University in London, UK, and Charles University, focusing her research on Women’s Studies, Inclusive Education, and Moral Studies.
Dr. Bethel Atebo
Dr. Bethel Atebo, a Physician working at a clinic in Hosanna, and a Medical Researcher & Consultant at Anoro Gebre Consultancy Service, is set to reveal groundbreaking insights at 6th Global Conference on Women’s Studies (WOMENCONF). Her research, centered on assessing health service accessibility for women with disabilities in Hosanna Town, Ethiopia, sheds light on crucial issues affecting marginalized communities. Dr. Atebo’s wealth of expertise is poised to enhance discussions and inspire actionable strategies for advancing inclusive healthcare delivery.
Dr. Amirah Mazlan
Dr. Amirah Mazlan holds a PhD in Hospitality, Tourism, and Events, currently a Lecturer in Hospitality, Events, Aviation & Tourism from the University of Sunderland, UK. Her research interests include gender, ethnicity, chef careers, and intersectionality, with her PhD thesis centered on the career experiences of female chefs in Malaysia.
Dr. Bidisha Pal
Bidisha Pal is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Literature and Languages (English), SRM University, AP, Andhra Pradesh, India. She earned a doctoral degree with the topic ‘Role of Translation in Mainstreaming Dalit Literature: A Study of Bengali Dalit Writings’ in 2023 from the Dept. of Humanities and Social Sciences, IIT (ISM) Dhanbad. Her areas of interest are Translation Studies, Dalit Literature, Indian Writing in English, Subaltern Studies, and Modern and Postmodern Literature. She has presented papers at national and international conferences on literature and language such as SCMLA 2018, ICOLSI 39, and SCONLI 13 to name a few. She is the recipient of the ACLA 2024 Travel Grant.
Dr. Yehudit Salfati
Dr. Yehudit Salfati is a lecturer at Hemada Academic College of Education and Kaye Academic College of Education. In her role, she assists master’s degree students in their thesis work and guides them through the writing process. Additionally, she guides students in writing seminar papers within the Department of Education and Psychology at the Open University. Dr. Salfati also guides teachers and students at the Center Simulation for Education. Her research primarily focuses on the field of teacher preparation.
Dr. Mona Ashour
Dr. Mona Ashour is an Assistant professor of English Language and Literature at Ain Shams University in Egypt. She got her Doctor of Philosophy in Ecological Humanities in 2019, and she joined University of Florida to conduct research in the department of Gender, Sexuality and Women Studies. Dr. Ashour is also an activist and member in UNA and UNICEF and exerts potential academic and community service efforts for the prevention of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and Violence against Women (VAW). During her Fulbright mission in Santa Fe College in Florida, Ashour supervised a literary research project of “Comparative Planetary Literature.” In 2023, she has been awarded Certificate of Outstanding Merit & Professional Award by University of Florida and Tybel Spivack Fund Award in Women Studies.
Dr. Eric D. Hess
Dr. Eric D. Hess (he/him) is a gender and sexuality researcher, specializing in gender expression, sexual identity, and identity politics found within religion and education. Eric teaches courses in gender and sexuality and also leads queer initiatives at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA. His dissertation is a qualitative, interview-based analysis of queer men navigating masculinity and policy in fundamentalist Christian colleges.
Dr. Sabah Firoz Uddin
Dr. Sabah Firoz Uddin teaches at the University of Maryland, Global Campus.. She holds a PhD in Women’s Studies from UCLA. Her scholarly interests include global and Islamic feminisms, gender and sartorial practices, and gender representations in the media. She was recently awarded a research grant by the Collectif Contre l’Islamophobie en Europe to be part of a research project on Muslim Youth and Islamophobia in Europe.
Dr. Samukezi Mrubula-Ngwenya
Samukezi Mrubula-Ngwenya is a social justice activist who advocates for Lesbian, Bisexual and Queer (LBQ) rights in South Africa. She has a Ph.D in Political Science, University of Limpopo, where she lecturers and convenes the Gender Studies Program. A former Fulbright scholar, Samukezi also holds a Masters in Women and Gender Studies, San Francisco State University, US. Her research focuses on LBQ narratives and experiences, social movements, democracy and political activism, African sexuality and gendered violence, and Feminist Foreign Policy.
Dr. Carolina Garcia
Session Chair
Carolina holds a Ph.D. in Social Sciences with a concentration in Gender Studies from Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). She is currently a Banting Postdoctoral Fellow at the Simone de Beauvoir Institute at Concordia University. Her primary research interests include transnational feminisms, the sociology of work, and migration.
Dr. Amapola L. Baes
Amapola L. Baes is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Social Sciences, University of the Philippines, Los Banos. She completed her M.A. in Psychology and in pursuit of PhD in Clinical Psychology at the University of the Philippines Diliman. Her research studies focus on the psychology of women, intimate partner violence, and women leadership.
Dr. Shikha Vyas-Doorgapersad
Shikha Vyas-Doorgapersad is appointed as a Full Professor, School of Public Management, Governance and Public Policy at University of Johannesburg, South Africa. Her previous lecturing experience includes International College for Girls (India); University of Zululand, and North-West University (South Africa). She holds degrees of M.A., M.Phil., and Ph.D. in Public Administration from the University of Rajasthan (India). Her research interests are in Public Policy, Gender Issues, and in Municipal Governance. She has presented research findings at international conferences world-wide.
Dr. Khaled Igbaria
Khaled Igbaria is a Lecturer at Kaye Academic College in Israel. He has got his PhD in Arabic Modern Literature, from the University of Edinburgh and his M.A and B.A in Arabic Language and Literature, Tel Aviv University. His research fields and interests are literary feminism, realism and intertextuality within narratives and poetry. His recent published article is: Igbaria, K. (2024). A sequence of pain: feminist issues within Laila Al-Othman’s Ṣamt al-Farāshāt [silence of the butterflies]. Cogent Social Sciences, 10(1).
Dr. Suad Ghaith
Suad Ghaith is a Professor at the Educational Psychology Department and Counseling Psychology, Faculty of Educational Sciences, at Hashemite University in Jordan. Her research interests focus on counseling abused and neglected children, fostering school-family-community partnerships, family and couple counseling, school counseling, and addressing family violence.
Prof. César Fernández
César Fernández, Ph.D., is an associate professor at Miguel Hernández University (Elche, Spain). He teaches various engineering subjects to undergraduate students and is the co-founder of the association Engineer Women (Mujeres Ingenieras), which aims to attract more female students to engineering degrees. His current research is focused on Artificial Intelligence, where, among other topics, he is working on the identification and reduction of gender biases in generative artificial intelligence, both in text and image generation.
Dr. Niyathi R. Krishna
Dr. Niyathi R. Krishna is a feminist academician and researcher working at Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development, under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Govt. of India. She has also served as Sir Ratan Tata Post-Doctoral Fellow (2023-24) in the London School of Economics and Political Science. Niyathi is the recipient of JIWS Fellowship by Bridgewater State University, USA (2024) and ‘Preet Rustagi Research Fund Award’ by IAWS, India (2020).
Dr. Sudha Jha Pathak
Dr. Sudha Jha Pathak works as Associate Professor, at Bennett University, Greater Noida, India. She has done post-graduation in History from Jadavpur University, Calcutta, and Doctorate from the M.S University of Vadodara, Baroda. Her area of interests are Ancient Indian History, Gender Studies, Legal History and Madhubani Paintings.
Prof. Nihaya Daoud
Prof. Nihaya Daoud is at the School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. Her researcher focuses on health inequalities and health promoting policies. She has conducted national and international research on health inequalities in relation to intersectionality of class, gender, socioeconomic status and ethnonational identity. Her research in the field of gender inequality focuses on violence against women, with attention to the health consequences of violence, the role of healthcare systems to tackle intimate partner violence; healthcare services utilization by women experiencing violence; and estimating the economic costs of violence.
Dr. Iryna Tytarchuk
Iryna Tytarchuk, PhD in Economics, Associate Professor at the National University of “Kyiv-Mohyla Academy” (Ukraine), Research Fellow at the University of Manchester (Great Britain), Executive Director of ITFC, Gender Issues Expert in International Projects, and Head of the Women IN Initiative. Iryna has extensive experience conducting research in the fields of entrepreneurship and gender equality, as well as the role of women in the economy and society.
Dr. Abeer Zeibak Haddad
Abeer Zeibak Haddad is a senior lecturer at Beit Berl Academic College and a filmmaker, director, producer, and actor. Born in Nazareth and currently residing in Jaffa, Abeer has made significant contributions to the field of documentary filmmaking. In 2011, Abeer produced and directed her first documentary, “Duma,” which is the first documentary film ever made about the sexual abuse of women in Arab and Palestinian society. This groundbreaking film received the Best Television and Video Professional Production Award at Urban TV 2012 in Madrid.
Dr. Giang Vu
Dr. Giang Vu holds a Doctor of Business Administration from the University of Information Technology and Management in Poland, a Doctor of Education from Horizons University in France, and a Master of International Business Management in Hospitality Management from the Swiss Hotel Management School in Switzerland. Currently, Dr. Vu serves as the Director of Asia-Pacific Regional at the Swiss Institute of Management and Sciences. With over 10 years of experience in Education and Hospitality, Dr. Vu’s expertise lies in Hospitality, Business, and Education Management.
Dr. Habibat Oladosu-Uthman
Habibat Oladosu-Uthman is an Associate Professor at the department of Arabic and Islamic studies, University of Ibadan, Nigeria. As a member of staff of the University, she is involved in various activities of the University both at the departmental and Institutional levels. She is currently one of the Focal persons at the University of Ibadan Gender Mainstreaming Office. She is an International fellow of King Abdullah bn AbdulAziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue, Austria (KIFN2019 Cohort) and currently a fellow at the Africa Multiple Cluster of Excellence, University of Bayreuth, Germany. Her area of specialization includes Islamic Thought and Civilization, Islam in Africa, Gender, Cultural criticism, interreligious and intercultural dialogue.
Ahmed Salman Mohamed
Ahmed Salman Mohamed is a Project Manager with two years of Environmental Impact Assessment experience, coupled with a background as an operation and consultant, and managerial roles in waste management and cleaning environments. As the CEO and Chairman of Krkadan for Development Co and Krkdan General Trading in UAE, Ahmed has demonstrated strong leadership and strategic acumen. His educational background includes a Diploma of Sustainable Business Strategy from Harvard Business School in 2020, a two-year Diploma of Human Rights in 2020, an M.S. in Environment obtained in 2007, a Post Graduate Diploma in Human Rights, and a B.A. in Economics and Political Sciences.
Anna Delapaz
Anna Delapaz is a PhD student in Sociology at Syracuse University, exploring food access and gender dynamics within food systems. Anna is a Clinical Registered Dietitian with a background in pediatric nutrition and a track record of increasing food access in rural communities. Anna is passionate about interdisciplinary approaches to food and nutrition, committed to fostering autonomy and food sovereignty.
Ms. Aslı Çelik
Aslı Çelik is an English language teacher and currently works as the head of the project office. She prepares and coordinates Erasmus+ projects (KA1, KA2, KA3, and ESC), EU Programs, IPARD, TÜBİTAK, eTwinning, and national and regional projects.
Ms. Seonhwa Lee
Seonhwa Lee is a cellist and Ph.D. student in musicology at the University of Music Freiburg, Germany, focusing on women and music, 19th-century music history, and artistic research. She graduated with top marks, earning a Bachelor and a Konzertexamen from the University of Music Mannheim, and a Master of Arts in Performance and a Master of Arts in Music Education from the University of Music Basel.
Ms. Gloria Nyambura Kenyatta
Ms. Gloria Nyambura Kenyatta is a Kenyan Ph.D. Student in Political Science at the University of Freiburg, Germany, and a research fellow at the Arnold Bergstraesser Institute in Freiburg, Germany- a research institute working on socio-political issues in the Global South including Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East. She is also the Deputy Clerk of Bomet County Assembly, a devolved legislature in Kenya. She holds a Master’s degree in Rural Sociology and Community Development from the University of Nairobi, Kenya, and a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies- Community Development from Kenyatta University, Kenya. Her areas of interest include; gender equity, citizen engagement, political participation, devolved governance, public policy, volunteerism and community development. She was also a Speaker in the 3rd Global Conference on Women’s Studies.
Nana Abuladze
Nana Abuladze is a fiction writer and a literary scholar from Tbilisi, Georgia. She has obtained her BA degree in International Relations (minor in Economics) from International Black Sea University and her MA degree in Comparative Literature from Ilia State University. She is the author of three award-winning books, the most recent of which – “The Two Sexes” – is a revised version of her MA thesis and has received the “Saba” prize for The Best Literary Criticism of the Year (2023).
Yuchen Li
Yuchen Li has an interdisciplinary and intercultural academic background at the intersection of political science, sociology and gender studies, currently studying for a MSc in the Social Studies of Gender at Lund University. Areas of interest are posthumanism, body theory and China studies.
Ophelia Xiner Tong
Ophelia Xiner Tong is a fourth-year undergrad at the University of British Columbia (UBC), where she was awarded the International Community Award and Academic Award in the academic year of 2023. She majors in the honors program of Human Geography and minors in Gender, Race, Sexuality, and Social Justice (GRSJ). Her research focus spans gender studies, geography, and particularly their interdisciplinary topics with social justice.
Wang Hanwen
Wang Hanwen, a doctoral candidate at the School of Humanities at Universiti Sains Malaysia, possesses a varied academic background from China that she contributes to her current endeavor. Wang’s study primarily focuses on Singaporean-Chinese Diaspora English literature in Singapore and the United States, with a particular emphasis on works by female authors within this genre. Wang is devoted to understanding the intricacies of cultural identity and representation in literature.
Rosário Carmona e Costa
Rosário Carmona e Costa is a Clinical Psychologist and Psychotherapist, recognized by the CBT Portuguese Association.She founded the Belong – Institute for Health and Development, based in Lisbon, Portugal. Rosário has written several books, including “Life-Saving: how emotional intelligence can save your life” and other notable works. Her dedication to making a positive impact extends to the creation of clinical resources such as the bullying prevention board game “Bullying – a day at school.” In addition, she has founded the working group “d´ELA, focusing on the study, literacy, and mental health care of women across the lifespan”. Rosário serves as a respected teacher at both ISCTE University and CATOLICA University in Lisbon.
Xinyu Zhang
Xinyu Zhang is currently pursuing her master’s degree in education at Guangxi Normal University Her researches are focused on critical pedagogy, feminist pedagogy, gender violence, women, media and technology, gender equality and educational systems. “Successful feminist research gives women visibility not only in sociology but more importantly, in society.” Hope one day her contribution in this field could make the invisible visible and voice for the voiceless.
Yiduo Lin (Thumper)
Thumper (Yiduo Lin), originally from Beijing, is a graduate of Forest Ridge School of the Sacred Heart and is currently pursuing their college education at Syracuse University. With a deep passion for sports, Thumper actively engages in sailing, alpine snowboarding, and polo, even establishing their own snowboarding club. Moreover, Thumper is the founder of the Chasing Sunshine Together Foundation, a charitable organization dedicated to assisting underprivileged children. Eager to make a positive impact, Thumper is committed to contributing to the betterment of the world.
Agnese Dionisio
Agnese Dionisio is a current Ph.D. candidate at Waseda University, Japan, where she is also a recipient of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) Scholarship awarded through Embassy Recommendation. She earned her Master’s degree in International Culture and Communication Studies from Waseda University, Japan, and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Asian Studies from Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, Italy. Her research interests encompass intersectionality, feminist historiography, feminist art, and the study of sexual slavery in the Asia-Pacific region.
Aiyesha Swarnn
Aiyesha Swarnn is currently studying for her MA in Global Public Policy at the University of Birmingham, after graduating with a first-class bachelor’s degree in History and International Relations. As a Social Justice Research Fellow at Access Academia, Aiyesha’s research focuses on policy responses and evidence-based policymaking towards gender-based violence experienced by marginalised communities, with a particular focus on honour-based abuse. Aiyesha is passionate about bringing marginalised groups to decision-making processes and discussions that have a social and environmental impact.
Yasmina Lahbib
Yasmina Lahbib is an Algerian academic, researcher, community activist, and Director of the Anis Center for Studies, Research, and Training in Algiers. She is also a Lecturer and Trainer in the fields of personal development, human rights, and women’s issues. Yasmina has published numerous articles and delivered presentations at universities, newspapers, and television channels.
Ms. Xin Li
Xin Li is a graduate of the School of Journalism and Communication at Northwest University of Political Science and Law, with a major in Journalism and Communication. Her research interests encompass gender studies, digital labor, feminism, and platform capitalism. Presently, Xin Li is engaged as an independent researcher, delving into these areas of academic inquiry with a keen focus and dedication.
Grace Beilman
Grace Beilman is a 3rd year undergraduate student at the University of South Florida. She is pursuing her Bachelors of Arts in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies with minors in Public Health and Literary Studies. Grace’s research interests include sexual health education and experiences of painful sex in people assigned female at birth. She hopes to pursue a joint Master’s of Social Work and Master’s of Public Health after she graduates.
Raphael Pasgianos
Raphael Pasgianos is a lawyer and a Ph.D. candidate in Public Law at the University of Athens. He holds an LL.M. from the University of Cambridge in Legal Philosophy & International Law. His fields of interest include jurisprudence, moral and political philosophy, human rights (esp. the freedoms of thought, expression and association), public international law (esp. regarding armed conflict regulation), and the environment (esp. of non-redistributive climate justice).
Areen Atta
Areen Atta is a young scholar and recent graduate of the American University of Iraq, Sulaimani, where she obtained a degree in International Studies. Her academic interests revolve around the intricate relationships between gender, politics, and society in the Middle East, with a particular focus on Iraq. Areen’s work incorporates a dialectical materialist perspective, recognizing the interplay of economic structures, social relations, and ideological forces in shaping gender inequality. She examines how neoliberal capitalism, with its emphasis on individualism and profit maximization, intersects with patriarchal systems to reinforce existing power imbalances and perpetuate gender-based violence.
Esunge Beatrice Epie
Esunge Beatrice Epie is a dedicated High School Geography Teacher and Class Administrator, passionate about environmental sustainability, women empowerment, and leadership. With a Higher Teacher’s Training Diploma, she has actively pursued her interests through specialized trainings and attending global events, including the African Women Summit, a Specialized Module on Human Health and Climate Change, and a certification in Climate Change: Transitions to Sustainability.
Ms. Caroline Israel
Ms. Caroline Israel is a development practitioner with over 10 years’ experience in managing research projects as well as facilitating policy analysis on sustainable development and leadership at UONGOZI Institute, a government think tank in leadership capacity building for sustainable development in Africa. She currently oversees programme on leadership with a specific focus on women and leadership. She aspires to see women as agents of change and development in their areas of influence. Caroline has extensive expertise in conceptualizing, planning, executing, monitoring, and evaluating policy and research projects.
Gabriele Nino
Gabriele Nino (he/him) is a PhD student in Gender Studies at the University of Bari Aldo Moro. His research investigates the epistemological roots that generate forms of gender discrimination against women and LGBTQIA+ subjectivities in Artificial Intelligence. His aim is to establish a link between gender studies and computer science in order to develop an ethical and normative framework that promotes gender equality in AI.
Wang Liyuan
Wang Liyuan is a Sociology PhD student at East China University of Science and Technology, focusing on gender studies, care labor, and family dynamics. She has published research in the areas of sub-culture research methods and transnational life narratives. Wang Liyuan has received recognition for her academic excellence, including the “Excellent Student Award” and the “First-class Prize in the 2nd Master of Social Work Academic Forum Essay Competition” in Shanghai.
Pia McFindlay
Pia McFindlay is a lecturer within the Industrial Design department at the University of Johannesburg. Her research pursuits are focused on pedagogical approaches within design and the impact of gender on design processes, delving into the ways in which social inequalities influence product creation. In addition to her academic role, Ms. McFindlay is a co-owner of Tandem Design House, a furniture design company. Because of this tie, her current PhD research is closely aligned with Johannesburg’s creative economy, particularly within the furniture industry, reflecting her commitment to integrating academic study with industry innovation.
Aradhna Rawat
Aradhna Rawat has completed her schooling at St. Thomas’ School in New Delhi. Before moving to Dubai to work at an oil refinery, she worked as an Executive Assistant at a consulting firm. She has a Master’s degree in English from IGNOU and a Post Graduate Diploma in Business Administration from Symbiosis, Pune. Currently, she is a research student at Manav Rachna University in Faridabad, her focus areas are Feminism, gender equality, and women’s empowerment.
Dima Alrwaidan
Dima Alrwaidan is a public school Psychological Counsellor with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychological Counselling (2019) and a Masters in Family Counselling (2024). She received an Excellence Award in 2017 and represented students with disabilities in the student’s parliament (2018-2019). Dima conducted an unpublished study on “Exploring Jordanian Women with Disabilities Experience in transitioning to Motherhood.”
Kinza Fatima
Kinza Fatima is pursuing her graduate degree in Women’s Gender and Sexuality Studies at the University of Cincinnati, USA. She has previously worked with United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Balochistan, and has advocated for women’s rights in Pakistan. Kinza has received her Bachelors degree in International Relations from the Balochistan University of Information Technology and Management Sciences. She is also a member of Pakistan US Alumni Network and a UGRAD Exchange Alumna of 2021. Her area of interests are women’s resistance movements in conflict ridden regions, transnational feminism, human rights violations, migration and refugees.
Alicia Pinelli, RSW, MSW
Alicia Pinelli (they/them), MSW, RSW, RSSW is the Young Caregiver and Family Counsellor and Clinical Lead with Young Caregivers Association, and a former young caregiver for their father. They have been involved in the field of social services as long as they can remember, first as a service user and currently as both a researcher and service provider. For over a decade, Alicia has dedicated their professional and academic career to expanding the idea of what therapeutic services can look like, incorporating unique methods into practice, and removing some of the traditional expectations of therapy. Their professional and academic work has focused on the experience of young caregivers, children’s mental health and intersectionality within the mental health field and gender identity. Alicia holds a Masters of Social Work, Honours Bachelor of Social Work and a Graduate Certificate in Psychosocial Rehabilitation.
Kaitlin Holden
Kaitlin Holden (she/her) is the Intake Coordinator and Community Engagement Facilitator with Young Caregivers Association. Kaitlin is passionate about working within the social work field through focusing on labour relations, healthcare quality improvement, and education reform. She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience from her personal and professional life that highlights the need for critical evaluation of the field. Kaitlin is a current 4th year student in the Honours Bachelor of Social Work program at McMaster University.
Ms. Yiyang Shi
Ms. Yiyang Shi (pronouns she/her) is a student at Fudan University and visited Tübingen University as an exchange student. Ms. Shi specializes in critical theories, feminist theories, and German idealism.
Alberto Grandi
A graduate in Philosophical Sciences, he is currently a PhD student in Gender Studies at the University of Bari Aldo Moro. The research project concerns the analysis of masculinity and linguistic performativity, with a double purpose: on the one hand, the philosophical and social analysis, starting from a pragmatist perspective and deepening the theme of the constitution of people and power relations. On the other hand, the aim is to develop appropriate communication strategies to combat discrimination and produce inclusive environments, particularly in corporate realities, translating theoretical research into practical possibilities.
Elyazia Al Qubaisi
Elyazia Al Qubaisi is a Ph.D. scholar specializing in women empowerment. She holds certifications in life coaching, NLP, hypnosis, and time paradigm practice. Working in the strategy department of a Dubai government entity, she is deeply passionate about empowering individuals. Her academic and professional journey is dedicated to creating meaningful change through strategic empowerment and personal development.
Diana Mulan Zhu
Diana Mulan Zhu is a scholar, filmmaker and artist exploring technology, sexuality, race, disability, class and gender. She is a PhD student and Cota Robles Fellow at University of California Santa Cruz in Film and Digital Media. She has exhibited and screened her work internationally including Anthology Film Archives, Paul W. Zuccaire Gallery, and Prisma Estudio. She holds an M.A. in Media, Culture and Communication from NYU and an M.F.A. in Studio Art from Stony Brook University.
Gabriela Loredana Gherghina
Gabriela Loredana Gherghina is a part-time PhD candidate at the University of Strathclyde, UK, focusing on the gender pay gap at the organizational level. With a background in Psychology and Human Resource Management, she holds a Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development certificate in HR practice and has extensive industry experience. Gabriela is also an experienced educator in management and organizational change at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Her commitment to student learning was recognized with the Strathclyde Business School Dean’s Recognition Award in 2023. She also serves as a reviewer for the Longitudinal and Life Course Studies journal and the British Academy of Management conferences.
Maria del Carmen Arango Tejada
Maria del Carmen Arango Tejada is a lawyer and a Master’s student in Political Studies at the National University of Colombia. At 23 years old, she serves as technical secretary of the ERASMUS+ EDUDER UNAL project. Her interests include the relationship between gender and ethnic communities, human rights education, community work and social development. She is a member of the Colombian Network of Youth Leaders and has been accepted for the Doctor Honoris Causa recognition by the World Leaders Organization. In addition, she has received recognition from
Xinyue Zheng
Xinyue Zheng, (in English Kasiya), is a 23-year-old master’s student at Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China. Their academic focus centers around the exploration of feminism within social media and popular culture, specifically in the realms of video games and films. Xinyue is committed to understanding and analyzing how Asian feminist ideologies challenge and interact with patriarchal discourses in the context of contemporary digital and cultural landscapes.
Madhuri Gaur
Madhuri Gaur a Ph.D. Scholar in Journalism & Mass Communication at Dev Sanskriti Vishwavidayalaya in Haridwar, Uttarakhand, India. Her Ph.D topic is on Women Journalists. Interested in women and related issues, photography, reading, spirituality, dance and exploring new places embracing the diversity of cultures and experiences. Actively participates in departmental activities from teaching to winning prize for photography.
Mitra Tanomand
Mitra Tanomand is a Ph.D. candidate in Global Development with a focus on Education in the UK. She holds a Master of Arts and Humanities in Gender Studies from the University of East Anglia, United Kingdom, earned through the Chevening Scholarship. A research fellow at the Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights in Sweden, Mitra is currently investigating human rights issues in Afghanistan, particularly girls’ education and the realities within women’s protection shelters post-2021. Her interests lie in academic research, human rights activities, especially concerning gender and women’s protection, and diplomacy.
Michelle Castillo
Michelle Castillo is an educator, researcher, and public servant from the Philippines. She currently serves at the University of the Philippines Diliman as a Lecturer of the UP National College of Public Administration and Governance (NCPAG) and University Researcher of the UP NCPAG’s Center for Local and Regional Governance. Holding a Master in Public Administration degree, her research areas include local governance, policy studies, strategy and organizational management, leadership in public sector, and gender and development. She has been awarded the Japanese Government Scholarship and will join the Young Leaders’ Program of Japan National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies.
Jihan Adnan Khan
Jihan Adnan Khan is a dedicated Economics student at Princeton University, with a keen interest in Economic Development, Gender, Policy, and Data Analysis.
Ahana Raghavan
Ahana Raghavan is a high schooler who is deeply passionate about neurobiology and gender equity in global health and aspires to be a neurosurgeon one day. She has been recognized for her efforts in combating period poverty in California and East Africa, where she was invited to represent the U.S at an international conference regarding menstrual taboos and taxation. In her free time, she debates avidly, and is ranked in the top 64 Public Forum Debate teams in the nation.
Dr. Shelley Jones
Professor, Royal Roads University, Canada
Presentation Title: UNPACKING WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT Obstacles, opportunities, and what needs to work: insights from a longitudinal study with Ugandan women
Shelley Jones, Professor in the College of Interdisciplinary Studies, Royal Roads University, has teaching experience at all levels (pre-primary to tertiary) in diverse international contexts (Tanzania, Uganda, Canada, England, and Japan). Her research and publications are focused in the areas of gender and education, girls and women’s empowerment, feminist participatory action research, and children’s rights.
Dr. Barbara Magnanelli
John Cabot University, Italy
Presentation Title: Female Leadership in Firms, Analyzing Different Aspect
Barbara Sveva Magnanelli is an Assistant Professor of Accounting and Management and Chair of the Department of Business Administration in John Cabot University, Rome, Italy. She took her PhD in Management at LUISS Guido Carli University, in Rome, in 2011. During her PhD, she was a visiting researcher at the University of Tennessee and at HEC Paris. Her research focus relies on corporate governance issues, with particular regard to the board of directors, gender diversity in boardrooms and financial statement frauds. More recently she has stated to develop a keen research interest on female leadership. She regularly publishes her works in high quality academics journals and presents working paper to main academic conferences.
PAST WORKSHOPS
Women’s Studies: Hindrances in Research Writing and Publishing
OVERVIEW
Presented By: Dr. Hazel T. Biana
- Associate Professor, Department of Philosophy, De La Salle University-Manila
- Guest Editor of the Special Issue of 4th WOMENSCONF in International Journal of Women’s Studies
Dr. Hazel T. Biana is a Research Fellow at the Southeast Asia Research Center and Hub (SEARCH), and a faculty member of the Department of Philosophy at De La Salle University, Manila, Philippines. She is the current Vice President of the Philosophical Association of the Philippines (PAP) and the Chair of the Diversity, Inclusivity, and Equality Committee of the Union of Societies and Associations of Philosophy in the Philippines (USAPP). In 2021, she received a Hypatia Diversity Project Grant from the University of Oregon. This year, she received a grant from the Feminist AI Research Network for research on artificial intelligence and the transit safety of women. Her research interests include feminist philosophy, gender studies, cultural criticism and other interdisciplinary topics.
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Dr. Gavan Patrick Gray
Dr. Gavan Patrick Gray is a Professor at Tsuda University’s College of Policy Studies in Tokyo, one of Japan’s oldest private women’s universities. He holds a Ph.D in Politics and International Relations from Leicester University and is currently engaged in a Japanese government-supported, multi-year research project comparing responses to gender violence in Japan and other countries. His latest writing on the subject appears in ‘Gender Violence, the Law, and Society’ (Emerald, 2022).
Dr. Ly Quyet Tien
Doctor Ly Quyet Tien is a Lecturer and researcher at Becamex Business School, Eastern International University Binh Duong. He has been a lecturer at many universities in the South of Vietnam. He holds bachelor’s degrees in History & English from the University of Social Sciences and Humanities. He also holds M.A. degrees in FLE from University of Rouen, in Vietnam History from the Southern Institute of Social Sciences, and Humanities in Ho Chi Minh City. In 2008, he received his Ph.D. in Oriental Studies and Humanities from University of Paris 7- Diderot.
Dr. Christina Stave
Christina Stave is a Senior researcher at Vti Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute Department: Human and transport system interaction. She has PhD in ergonomics from Chalmers University of Technology and MSc in Psychology and MSc in Business and Economics from the University of Gothenburg. Her Research areas are Safety culture, traffic psychology, education and driver training and gender equality in the transport sector.
Dr. Sandra Meškova
Dr. philol. Sandra Meškova is an Associate Professor at Daugavpils University, Latvia. She teaches courses related to gender and literary theory, contemporary British and North American literature in bachelor, master’s, and doctoral study programmes. Her research interests are autobiography and gender studies, comparative literature in the context of contemporary North American, British, and Latvian literature. She is the author of about 90 research publications and two research monographs.
Dr. Khaled Igbaria
Khaled Igbaria is a Lecturer at Kaye Academic College in Israel. He has got his PhD in Arabic Modern Literature, from the University of Edinburgh and his M.A and B.A in Arabic Language and Literature, Tel Aviv University. His research fields and interests are literary feminism, realism and intertextuality within narratives and poetry. His last article is: (2020) Arab Spring Revolutions throughout Modern Arabic Poetry. Asian Journal of Humanities and Social Studies, 8(4): 142-153.
Dr. Prachi Priyanka
Dr Prachi Priyanka holds a doctorate degree in English literature. Her research work is an interdisciplinary study of the convergences between poetry and painting that aims to explore, analyze and understand how art, literature and society in different ages absorb and reflect commonalities in various aspects. Her areas of interest include intertextuality and visual culture, Indian literature in translation, Partition narratives and Victorian studies. She also holds the position of editor, advisory board member and peer-reviewer for national and international journals. Currently, Prachi is Assistant Professor in the Department of English, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Sharda University, India.
Dr. Lutfurahman Aftab
Dr. Lutfurahman Aftab is a member of the ITAPS program of UCSF (University of California San Francisco) and serves as the director of research and publication at Mili Institute of Higher Education. His research work entails analysis, report and proposal writing, and developing surveys and questionnaires of different natures including social and public health.
Dr. Maria Kalfa
Maria Kalfa is a Social Anthropologist and Lecturer at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and University of Western Macedonia. She was a lecturer in the Polytechnic School of the University of Thessaly and in the School of Social Sciences and Humanities in University of Western Macedonia. At this moment she is lecturer in the departments of International and European Economic Studies, in the Psychology department and in the Early Childhood Education department of the University of Western Macedonia, and in Political Science department of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.
Dr. Kate Mukungu
Kate Mukungu has been a community work practitioner and manager since the mid-1990s apart from a social sciences lectureship (2017-21). Kate’s 2022 doctorate analyses women’s anti-violence activism in post-conflict contexts. Currently Chief Executive of Riverside Community Health Project, England, Kate is interested in better integrating academia, activism and practice.
Dr. Iryna Tytarchuk
Iryna Tytarchuk has been working in the field of entrepreneurship for more than 10 years. She is developing business in Ukraine within SME consulting and implementation of more than 20 projects. Following the consequences of the war in Ukraine, Iryna with the partners implemented the Help Women Agro in Ukraine project and Oplich initiative. Iryna is PhD of economic sciences, associate professor of the Department of Public Relations of the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. She works on research and practical projects in the field of supporting women’s entrepreneurship and investments and has fellowship researcher at the University of Manchester (Great Britain).
Dr. Angela Kahil
Angela Kahil, PhD in History, Societies and Civilizations from INALCO – Paris. Fulbright Leadership Program Alumni, She is a researcher in Women’s History in the Arab World at INALCO and USEK Lebanon.
Dr Christina Vogels
Dr Christina Vogels is a Senior Lecturer at Auckland University of Technology (Aotearoa/New Zealand). Her research is underpinned first and foremost by a passion for violence against women prevention. She has carried out fieldwork with young men to understand more about how they constitute healthy (hetero)romantic relationships. She has also co-conducted research with women who have experienced trauma of male partner violence. Christina’s other research interests include interrogating gender representations within young adult fiction/film and exploring the popular romance. Her conceptual influences include feminist Bourdieusian theory, critical masculinities studies and a critical feminist appraisal of femininities within the social world.
Dr Rachel Nayani
Dr Rachel Nayani MBA is an Associate Professor in Organisational Behaviour at University of East Anglia. Her research interests revolve around employee experience of work and organisational processes and practices for sustainable change and social value – including wellbeing, value-aware management, equality, diversity & inclusion and sustainability goals. A qualitative researcher and former organisational change practitioner, Rachel has undertaken research for major UK funding bodies, published in journals such as Work and Stress and the British Journal of Management.
Lorraine Hayman
Lorraine Hayman is a Global Women’s Studies doctoral researcher at the University of Galway, Ireland. Her interdisciplinary research explores the lived experiences of women in Ireland concerning Cyber Sexual Violence. She aims to offer evidence-informed recommendations for legal, policy, and service provision reform. She is a Hardiman Research Scholar at the University of Galway and a Rotary Peace Fellow alum.
Ms. Lucca Olivia Munnik
Lucca holds an MPhil in Public Mental Health from the University of Cape Town, and her qualitative research focuses on improving the recovery of rape survivors and exploring communal resilience in shelters for abused women. She is currently the Strategic Funding Specialist for ActionAid UK where she develops fundraising materials for strategic grants that help drive the international charity’s mission to support women and girls living in poverty.
Ms. Gloria Nyambura Kenyatta
Ms. Gloria Nyambura Kenyatta is a Kenyan Ph.D. Student in Political Science at the University of Freiburg, Germany, and a research fellow at the Arnold Bergstraesser Institute in Freiburg, Germany- a research institute working on socio-political issues in the Global South including Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East. She is also the Deputy Clerk of Bomet County Assembly, a devolved legislature in Kenya. She holds a Master’s degree in Rural Sociology and Community Development from the University of Nairobi, Kenya, and a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies- Community Development from Kenyatta University, Kenya. /p>
Dong Xiaoshuang
Dong Xiaoshuang is a PhD student at Tsinghua University. She is the President of the Student Society of Literary Criticism of Tsinghua University. Her research interests center on the cross-cultural interactions on literature, postcolonial theory with American literature, and female theory. She has won the national scholarships several times and published articles abroad and in China.
Ms. Adriana Cantón
Adriana Cantón has a Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations by the Tecnológico de Monterrey in Mexico City, Mexico and Master’s in Democracy and Good Government by the Universidad de Salamanca in Salamanca, Spain. She is Research Assistant by the Tecnológico de Monterrey and a member of the Project Novus Tríada.
Anamika Pundir
Hadassa Oliveira
Naima Saed Mohamed
Naima Saed Mohamed is graduated from the University of Hargeisa with a bachelor’s in business administration, a master’s in project management, and also earned a pedagogy certificate. She is a recent PhD student at Eskisehir Osmangazi University, Department of Management and Organization. With over three years of experience as an instructor at the College of Business and Entrepreneurship, she created and managed various businesses.
Kiyara Ananmalay
Kiyara Ananmalay is the Art Specialist at Nedbank Ltd. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Fine Arts and a Master of Arts in Art History from the University of Witwatersrand, South Africa. Kiyara is an emerging scholar with a passion for exchanging knowledge. Her areas of interest are archives, photography, and gender.
Francesca Basso
Francesca Basso is a feminist PhD researcher in Gender studies at the University of Lisbon, Portugal. Working at the intersection between civil society and academia, she specialized in gender and human rights. Currently, her main research interests are feminist activisms for SRHR; SGBV against women and children (harmful practices, e.g. FGM and CEFM); LGBTI+ issues; gender and human rights.
Daniella Orias
Daniella Orias is currently a Ph.D. student at FAU with a focus on Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and Design. She is the Digital Pedagogy Coordinator for the Lavender Languages Institute and recently published an article with Nicole Morse entitled “No One is Disposable: Ecofeminism and Climate Crisis” (2020).
Ms. Caroline Israel
Ms. Caroline Israel is a development practitioner with 10 years of experience in managing research projects and facilitating policy dialogues on sustainable development and leadership at UONGOZI Institute, a Tanzanian government organisation seeking to build capacity for African leaders to attain sustainable development for their nations. She also manages a programme on leadership with a specific focus on women. She holds a Masters degree in Economics and a Postgraduate Diploma in Leadership.
Feixiang Liu
Feixiang Liu is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in Humanities at the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid in Spain. Her research focuses are on women’s literature and comparative literature. In her doctoral thesis she specifically explores the comparison between early 20th-century Spanish and Chinese women’s literature.
Shainal Verma
Shainal Verma is a third-year Ph.D. scholar interested in bringing the narratives of Dalit women who disappear at the intersections of caste, class, gender, and sexuality to the social world. Shainal’s research explores the epistemological link between pedagogical transformations and social justice in the context of knowledge production in Dalit women’s lives and the exclusivity of their voice within academia. Her research aims to bridge the gap between theory and practice by exploring the everyday lived experiences of Dalit women in India through an intersectional framework. Feminism demands to expand its discourse; therefore, her research keeps ‘feminism’ as an entry point to locate Dalit women’s negotiations and articulations with the social structures in the Indian context.
Polina Lukyansteva
Polina Lukyansteva is a Ph.D. (D2) student at the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures, The Graduate School of Letters, Kyoto University. She has got Master’s degree from the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures, The Graduate School of Letters, Kyoto University (Japan, Kyoto) and a Bachelor’s degree from Ryukoku University, The Department of Intercultural Communications (Japan, Kyoto). Polina is awarded the best paper presentation at several conferences.
Nigora Mamadaminova
Nigora Mamadaminova holds Bachelor’s degree in Economics and a Master’s degree in International Business and Management. Currently, dedicated to expanding her knowledge by pursuing Ph.D. in Social Sciences at the University of Warsaw. Her research interests primarily focus on female leadership, education management, higher education management, and distance education.
Sky Mary Jane Mallari
Sky (she/they) is a highly experienced university academic lecturer and researcher. She has a Ph.D. candidacy from Waseda University, Japan, focusing on Gender and Diversity, Women’s Studies, and Transient Migrations. Her research interest extends to Migrations from Global South to Global North, Southeast Asian Literature, TEFL, Linguistics, and Intercultural Communication. Currently, she is working on the project Tokyo Transient Migrants’ Stories; for collaboration or interest, please get in touch with her/they directly through email.
Richika Tyagi
Richika Tyagi works as a Judge (Government) in a District Court in Delhi, India since 2019. She completed her Bachelor’s in Science from University of Delhi in 2013, and later her LLB from University of Delhi in 2017. Richika joined Delhi Judicial Service as a Judge after clearing a 3 stages competition examining and interview in 2019. Currently, Richika is pursuing LLM from Kurukshetra University, India, and simultaneously pursuing a Diploma in Arbitration Law and Arbitration Practice (domestic and international arbitration) at National Law University, Delhi, India. She also delivers lectures pertaining to her field at universities as and when she gets opportunities.
Mr. Zihao Zhuang
Mr. Zihao Zhuang is a researcher, advocate, social entrepreneur, humanitarian, and changemaker. He has founded Zhuang-Help Africa International based in Ghana to fight against inequality and poverty, and promote equal access and opportunities for the vulnerable groups in Africa.
Gizem Dik
She is a senior student at the department of History and Psychology at Ibn Haldun University, Turkey. She has been doing research on art history and psychology of art and has been actively involved in projects related to these fields. Currently, her research area focused on women artists and intellectuals. Apart from this, she is known as a human right activist, running a podcast series called “Roads to Migrate” to discuss the issue of migration.
Bianca Bellucci
Bianca Bellucci (she/her) is an academic researcher and activist. After a master’s degree in Political Philosophy, she specialised in Gender Studies, Decolonial Studies and Feminist Urbanism. In 2021 she obtained a master’s degree in Critical Theory at the University of Milan Bicocca and at the Universidad de Buenos Aires. Since 2017 she has collaborated with associations such as Amnesty International, Refugees Welcome, ILGA Europe, Non Una Di Meno, In Mente Itaca Turin, Fridays For Future, and Extinction Rebellion. Right now, she is researching and writing about Solarpunk.
Han Zheng
Han Zheng is a graduate student from Fudan University. Han received a Bachelor’s Degree in Law with a major in Sociology and developed an interest in gender studies. In the future, Han wants to undertake his own research on the interdisciplinary study of gender and social media, and pursue a Doctoral Degree.
Nadeeka Priyadarshani Gamage
Nadeeka Priyadarshani Gamage is a Sri Lanka Administrative Service officer with a focus on grassroots development. She holds an MA in Public Economics from International Christian University, Japan, specializing in Public Policy and Public Research, along with a degree in Computer Science from Colombo University, Sri Lanka. Her exceptional educational background and dedication to public service drive her remarkable contributions in administrative governance and socioeconomic advancement.
Dr. Bhavani Rao
Dr. Bhavani Rao is the Dean of the School of Social and Behavioural Sciences of Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham (Amrita University), a top-ranked University in India. She is the Director of two Research Centers: AMMACHI Labs (Amrita Multi Modal Applications and Human Computer Interaction) and the Center for Women’s Empowerment and Gender Equality. She has been designated as India’s UNESCO Chair in Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment. Her work focuses on empowering underserved communities, especially women in rural areas, through capacity building and vocational skills, using the latest technologies. Since 2009, she has led many projects funded by international, national and foreign organizations (including UN agencies and the Government of India).
Prof. JosAnn Cutajar
Prof. Nalini Moodley
Dr. Rebecca Ranz
Dr. Amer Bani Amer is the founder and general director of Al-Hayat Center – Rased, established in 2006, leading a range of pioneering development projects and programs in Jordan and across the MENA region. He’s a major advocate of gender mainstreaming in political and democratic life and focuses on implementing community-based programs to empower women and build their capacities.
