This teachers’ workshop focuses on the theme of gender (in)equality in Africa and the African diaspora. It invites educators to consider how gender equality is achieved in some contexts and how gender inequality prevails in others. This workshop features speakers exploring the themes of gender (in)equality in education, politics, and migration.
The workshop is designed to bring together teachers from the United States and from African countries to learn together and make connections across borders. We aim to have an equal number of African and American teachers in attendance, and they will connect in breakout groups throughout the workshop.
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REGISTRATION DETAILS
There are limited spots available for this event. Please complete the registration form, and we will inform you of whether we can offer you a spot. If you are offered a spot and can no longer attend, please unregister so that we can give the spot to another teacher.
Registration is open to teachers from the United States and to teachers from the African continent.
Please note that this event is FREE to attend.
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EVENT SCHEDULE
Event Date & Time: June 24–25, 2021
7am–10am Pacific Time (US/Canada)
9am–12pm Central Time (US/Canada)
10am–1pm Eastern Time (US/Canada)
2pm–5pm GMT
3pm–6pm West African Time
4pm–7pm South Africa Standard Time & Central Africa Time
5pm–8pm Eastern Africa Time
Day 1 - Thursday, June 24th
(Times below are listed in Central Time. Please expand the “Event Schedule” tab above for time zone conversions.)
9:00am – Welcome
9:05am – Opening Speaker: Pfanique Hill
9:20am – Introductions
9:30am – Speaker 1: Dr. Olajumoke Yacob-Haliso – Topic: Gender and Refugee Issues
Refugee women are often described as products of war, political instability, human rights abuses and other kinds of social upheaval on the African continent, but rarely are they understood to be patent symbols of gender inequalities in society. Adopting both feminist intersectionality and continuum-of-violence approaches, this presentation explores the gendered inequalities that shape African refugee women’s lives—from the causes of their flight to their exile experiences, access to durable solutions, and post-conflict reintegration. These trajectories are further influenced by women’s own identities, as well as international political factors that constrain their choices. The presentation concludes that engendering political participation, humanitarian programming, and social structures through women’s agency are key to addressing the challenges of African refugee women.
10:20am – Small Group Discussions
10:35am – Break
10:45am – Speaker 2: Dr. Meseret Hailu – Topic: Minoritized Women in STEM Education
11:35am – Small Group Discussions
11:55am – Closing
Day 2 - Friday, June 25th
(Times below are listed in Central Time. Please expand the “Event Schedule” tab above for time zone conversions.)
9:00am – Welcome Back / Reflections
9:10am – Speaker 3: Dr. Linda Vakunta – Topic: (Under)Representation of Women in Politics
This presentation explores experiences of and lessons learnt from African-born women in politics. It highlights triumphs and challenges noting how education shapes the world in which women pursue, succeed or fail in politics. As the world works collaboratively to achieve set targets for the United Nations sustainability goals of quality education, gender equality, decent work and economic growth, reduced inequalities, sustainable cities and communities, peace, justice and strong institutions – the lived experiences of current women leaders is valuable to the path forward.
9:55am – Small Group Discussions
10:10am – Break
10:25am – Speaker 4: TBA
11:15am – Small Group Discussions
11:30am – Final Reflection
12:00pm – End of Event
EVENT SPEAKERS
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Ajanae Dawkins
Ajanae Dawkins is a poet, performance artist, and educator. She has performed for the United Nations Secretary of Sexual Violence in Conflict. Ajanae has been published in The BreakBeat Poets Black Girl Magic Anthology, The Offing, Tinderbox Poetry Journal, Winter Tangerine, and The Blueshift Journal with work forthcoming in the Rumpus. Her work has also been featured on For Harriet, Def Jam, and Button Poetry. Ajanae is the winner of the Tinderbox Poetry Journal’s Editors Prize, a recipient of Delta Sigma Theta’s Artist of the Year Award, and a winner of the George B. Hill Poetry Prize. She is a finalist for the Cave Canem Toi Dericotte and Cornelius Eady Chapbook Prize. She is a fellow of The Watering Hole’s writer’s retreat for African American writers and Pink Door writer’s retreat. Ajanae is currently an editor for Voicemail Poems, the 2020 Nancy Craig Blackburn Fellow at Randolph College, and a 2020 Alford Scholar at Methodist Theological School of Ohio.
Dr. Olajumoke Yacob-Haliso
Associate Professor of Political Science, Babcock University, Nigeria
Olajumoke Yacob-Haliso is Professor of Political Science and Dean of the Veronica Adeleke School of Social Sciences at Babcock University in Nigeria. Her research is in the areas of women and gender in Africa, peace and conflict, and international relations. Dr Yacob-Haliso is co-editor of the Palgrave Handbook of African Women’s Studies, the Rowman and Littlefield book series, Africa: Past, Present & Prospects, the Journal of Contemporary African Studies, and currently serves on the editorial board of African Affairs, Journal of International Women’s Studies, and others. For her research, Dr Yacob-Haliso has been awarded several international fellowships and grants including from the American Council of Learned Societies, Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation, the University for Peace Africa Program, the African Association of Political Science, Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa, the American Political Science Association, and so on. Olajumoke was Global South Scholar-in-Residence at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva, Switzerland; African Humanities Program Postdoctoral fellow at Rhodes University, South Africa; ACLS-ASA Presidential Fellow at Butler University, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Iowa State University; Visiting Professor at the Rapoport Center for Human Rights and Justice at the University of Texas at Austin School of Law, amongst others.
Dr. Meseret Hailu
Assistant Professor of Education, Arizona State University, USA
Dr. Linda Vakunta
Deputy Mayor of Madison, Wisconsin, USA
Victoria Alukpe
Victoria Alukpe is a Teach for America alum who began her career as a special education teacher in a Bronx, NY middle school in 2017. She currently teaches Government and World History in Washington, D.C. Victoria is committed to culturally sustaining teaching practices and to teaching through a social justice lens. Victoria has also served as a mentor and tutor through nationally recognized organizations including, the Children’s Defense Fund, America Reads and Jumpstart–a volunteer organization dedicated to creating equitable learning outcomes for young children in underserved communities.
Teresa Ann Willis
Teresa Ann Willis is a New York City- based middle-school humanities teacher. Teresa is also a restorative practices facilitator skilled in leading restorative circles for youth and adults, and in providing training, consultation and coaching for educators and youth development professionals seeking to implement restorative practices in their schools and communities. Additionally, Teresa is a curriculum developer who writes Teachable Moments current event lessons for the Morningside Center for Teaching Social Responsibility. Teresa’s debut YA novel, Like A Tree Without Roots (Ase Publishing, 2012) explores the struggles of a teenage girl and her classmates as they navigate their way through everyday experiences of colorism, racism, internalized oppression and police brutality.