On October 26, 2012, D-Lab, in collaboration with MIT's Anthropology department and the Women and Gender Studies and Science Technology and Society programs, hosted the first MIT Workshop on Gender, Technology and Development.
The workshop engaged scholars and practitioners from area universities – among them MIT, Boston University, Wellesley College, UMASS-Boston, and Clark University – who work within the fields of anthropology, economics, and engineering, as well as within the larger international development community. The workshop attendees were brought together by a shared interest in gender, development and technology.
The morning session on environment and energy featured Susan Murcott of MIT, Pinar Keskin of Wellesley, Joanna Davidson of Boston University, and discussant Christine Walley of MIT. The lunch break featured technology demonstrations by D-Lab students and staff. The afternoon sessions featured presentations and discussions on gender and labor (Ping-Ann Adoo of UMass-Boston, Libby McDonald of MIT, Kiran Asher of Clark and discussant Heather Paxson of MIT) and methods of innovation (D-Lab’s Amy Smith and Abigail Mechtenberg of Clark University).
The day included lively discussions, debates and hands-on activities related to gender, technology, and development, and drew more than 80 participants over the course of the day. All in all, the workshop was a great success and we look forward to exploring similar event possibilities in the future.
For event information and a detailed program, visit http://gendertech.weebly.com/