WID Program at Virginia Tech
The Women in International Development program seeks to ensure a gender-sensitive approach to all Office of International Research, Education, and Development projects, and to raise awareness about gender and development issues at Virginia Tech. It does this by:
- Providing leadership within the office to ensure that programs are gender-sensitive and have a positive impact on the most disadvantaged beneficiaries, many of whom are women
- Seeking funding for research and development projects focusing on women
- Involving Tech faculty and students in collaborative activities with host country counterparts
The WID Program now offers internship opportunities through the Women’s and Gender Studies Program at Virginia Tech. For more information, click here. Individuals interested in pursuing internship or independent study opportunities not associated with the Women’s and Gender Studies Program may contact the WID Program Director for more information.
This website has been updated. Be sure to explore all the new links to find out more about gender and development at Virginia Tech and the research projects with which the WID Program is involved. The Resources section also provides several links to other WID programs, international organizations working with gender and development, and more.
WID Discussion Series Fall 2009
One Step Forward, Two Steps Backward: Women's Empowerment Dance
Revathi Balakrishnan, Ph.D.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Office of International Research, Education and Development
(Located at the intersection of Tom's Creek and Prices Fork Road,
Blacksburg, VA 24060)
Conference Room A
12:00 to 1 pm
The presentation will focus on the contradictions and challenges in
achieving the agenda of empowerment of poor women in Asian development
milieu. The deeply imbedded social attitudes and cultural biases within
organizations pose challenges to achieving the agenda for women's
empowerment. Particularly the path to empowerment of rural women is marked
by shifting commitments and focus in priorities. The presenter will draw
upon her experience of working to promote FAO/UN agenda for empowerment of
rural women in East and South Asian countries, with specific illustrative
cases to support the central argument on progress made, persisting
contradictions and emerging trends.
Ms. Revathi Balakrishnan, Ph.D., is a resident of Blacksburg who was the
Senior Officer for Gender, Diversity and Development in the Asia-Pacific
Regional Office of the Food and Agriculture Organization, a technical agency
of United Nations. FAO regional office based in Bangkok, Thailand the
regional office provided service to 45 countries in the region. Ms.
Balakrishnan also held positions of Director for Women in International
Development in Land Grant Universities in the USA. Her experience in working
in rural women's programs spans three decades with program development and
assessment assistance to development agencies such as UNDP, World Bank,
national ministries and NGOs.
The WID program has sponsored a discussion series for the past several years, giving students and professionals an opportunity to share their research and discuss issues of women in international development. Students, faculty, staff and members of the community are encouraged to attend the discussions and bring their ideas and questions. For the complete discussion series schedule for fall 2009, see: http://www.oired.vt.edu/WID/events.html.
Please share this information widely, and encourage others to attend. Feel free to bring your lunch.
We look forward to seeing you there.