12:00pm to 1:00pm |
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One Step Forward, Two Steps Backward: Women's Empowerment Dance
(Special Event)
The presntation 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. Dr. Revathi Balakrishnan will draw upon her experience of working to promote the 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.
Dr. Balakrishnan is a resident of Blacksburg and the former Senior Officer for Gender, Diversity, and Development in the Asia-Pacific Regional Office of the Food and Agriculture Organization, a technical agency of the United Nations. This office, based in Bangkok, Thailand, provides service to 45 countries in the region. Dr. Balakrishnan also held positions of Director for Women in International Development in several land grant universities in the US. 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.
Guests are invited to bring a bag lunch to the presentation. More information...
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