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Ann Oberhauser, professor of sociology and director of the Women’s and Gender Studies Program, and Cori Hyde, Ph.D. student in sociology, participated in the 4th Annual Gender Identity Week in Kampala, Uganda, in early March. The conference was sponsored by the School of Women and Gender Studies at Makerere University as well as the Swedish Embassy.

The event included five days of panels and discussions that engaged students from across the Makerere campus on topics such as empowering women through culture and religion, women in leadership, sexual violence, masculinities and femininities, and gendered spaces.

Oberhauser spoke about body politics and sexual harassment along with colleagues from the Directorate of Gender Mainstreaming at Makerere University. She also gave a keynote presentation on gender and development with a focus on Uganda.

While in Uganda, Oberhauser and Hyde visited the Iowa State University—Uganda Program (ISU-UP) at the Mpirigiti Rural Training Center in the Kamuli District. While there, they toured a primary school with new bathrooms and a kitchen for the 700 pupils who attend the school. They also visited one of the Nutrition Education Centers, where pregnant and breastfeeding women and young children can access nutritious food and health education.

“This trip was an opportunity to connect the ISU Department of Sociology and the Women’s and Gender Studies Program to the ISU-UP, Makerere University School of Women and Gender Studies, and Swedish colleagues from Gothenburg University,” Oberhauser said.

Hyde added, “Opportunities such as these cultivate a deeper understanding of the complexity and relevance of gender equality around the world.”