By Nicole Findlay
Elisabeth Wilson, a third-year women’s studies and sociology major has been awarded the Pauline Jewett Institute of Women’s Studies’ Scholarship for 2006-07.
The award is especially noteworthy as Wilson has been working full-time while pursuing her studies. It was her job at a not-for-profit organization that advocates for legal and judicial reform that led Wilson to pursue research in women’s studies.
“Every government funded international development contract has to have a gender component and this is how I got interested in women’s studies,” said Wilson. “I wanted to understand the underlying mechanisms which are responsible for women’s subordinate status in society.”
Wilson says she is also interested in the role women play in international development in a variety of societies. The role women’s agencies play in articulating female voices and addressing gender equity within their particular communities is of especial interest.
“How can women’s participation in decision-making processes be increased?” asks Wilson. “What policies could be put in place to increase gender equity?”
Although Wilson will pursue these questions through graduate research, she is planning to take a year off to work… and “rest”.
The Pauline Jewett Institute of Women’s Studies scholarship is awarded based on excellence in third-year academic achievement.