Yale and UNAM Partner to Launch Gender Studies Network

UNAM's Centre for Research and Gender Studies
October 26, 2020

The Council on Latin American & Iberian Studies (CLAIS) at the Whitney and Betty MacMillan Center for International and Area Studies at Yale University and Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) through the Center for Research and Gender Studies (CIEG) and Center for Mexican Studies in Boston are pleased to announce the launch of the Latin American Interdisciplinary Gender Network (LAIGN). 

Currently comprised of more than 85 scholars from almost 30 different institutions, LAIGN brings together faculty, postdoctoral researchers, and doctoral students across universities throughout the United States and Latin America. The members work within the broad field of gender studies, including — but not limited to — feminist, queer, and decolonial theories. Their research interests encompass a wide array of disciplines from the social sciences and humanities to the natural sciences and technology. 

“We are excited to partner with UNAM on this unique initiative,” said Claudia Valeggia, CLAIS Chair and Professor of Anthropology at Yale. “Building a network like LAIGN is important because it will facilitate the exchange of ideas and scholarly work. Doctoral students researching gender studies will benefit by being able to receive feedback on their work, and they will be able to form connections with others throughout the world who have similar scholarship interests.” 

LAIGN’s main objective is to produce bilingual academic and cultural scholarship to create knowledge and provide solutions to gender-related issues from a variety of perspectives in the following focus areas: 

  • Gender and Education 
  • Gender and Feminist Theory 
  • Gender, Economy, Poverty, and Health 
  • Gender in the Arts and Humanities 
  • Gender in Science, Technology, and Innovation 

Each of these focus areas is structured as a working group with lead coordinator(s).

  • Gender and Education working group is led by Consuelo Dinamarca Noack from the University of Chile and Alí Siles from UNAM;
  • Gender and Feminist Theory is led by Ever Osorio from Yale, Cristian De La Rosa from Boston University, Thomas Connors from University of Pennsylvania, and Veronica Montes from Bryn Mawr College
  • Gender, Economy, Poverty, and Health is led by Gisela Zaremberg from FLACSO-Mexico, Celeste Wagner from University of Pennsylvania, Debora Thome from Columbia University, and Rosario Aparicio from El Colegio de Mexico
  • Gender in the Arts and Humanities is led by Helena Lopez from UNAM; and
  • Gender in Science, Technology, and Innovation is led by Lucía Gabriela Ciccia from UNAM

Ana Buquet, CIEG Director and Researcher added, “UNAM’s commitment to gender studies is once more reflected in initiatives like LAIGN. It is an honor to be part of a project that goes beyond borders and seeks to extend knowledge on issues that are central to building more just and egalitarian societies.”

The inaugural conference for the network will be held via Zoom on November 20, 2020. The conference will feature a session with all of the working group coordinators to discuss their focus areas and goals. To learn more about the conference and to register for the conference, please go to the conference website here. An in-person conference is being planned for November 2021 at UNAM in Mexico City.  

To learn more about LAIGN and how to become a member, please email Asia Neupane at Yale or Hector Zavala at UNAM-Boston. Please also visit our website https://clais.macmillan.yale.edu/networks/laign