Gender and Development: nuts & bolts in practice

I was invited to lecture 2nd year under-grad students of International Development at Melbourne University on Monday this week - talking about my experiences of addressing gender inequalities; underlying what’s changed in the work on gender equality in the 21st century. 

It was challenging. I had to condense my 20 odd years working in this field into biteable pieces, exciting enough for the students to process, reflect on and unpack. Before leaving for the University, I told my 6 year old daughter, "am feeling kinda nervous!" The wise owl looked at me and said, "take a deep breadth, smile your lovely smile Mamma, be confident, and just be yourself!" 

So, thats what I did. I was myself. Talked straight. Had fun. 

My top tips to the students were:

1.   The people you will be working with, the people on whom you may research or develop policies on - are truly the experts of their lives. Have the humility to listen to learn. Don't listen to react or respond. 

2.   At every step of the way, be brutally honest and reflective of your own attitudes and behaviours, your own privileges and power - and how these affect the work you will be doing, the biases you may be harbouring, the stereotypes that you may be fostering. Be honest and change your own attitudes and behaviours first before changing others.

3.    The work on addressing gender inequalities is complex and very wicked. Analyse the different layers of power dynamics governing people and processes. There are no quick fixes and easy solutions. Anyone claiming so is fooling.

4.    There are risks entailed because the status-quo needs to be changed. Analysing the risks smartly and collectively mitigating them is the new smart. Do not play it safe. Take risks. Changing the status-quo needs gumption. Kick ass without guilt!

5.   Work needs to happen simultaneously at several levels and using multiple strategies. Have a systemic lens on, one that understands and analyses intersectionality, one that knows change can’t happen in neat linear ways, one that holds people to account. 

The feedback was positive. From both their Professor, and the students themselves. That’s a reward in itself for me. 

Thankyou Louise for having me - giving me the opportunity- and thanks to Plan International Australia for letting me do this gig, representing the organisation.