On July 27, 2021 the Center for Gender and Development Studies and the Department of Social Sciences hosted the symposium “Gender and Islam: A Historical Perspective and the Way Forward.” Resulting from the spring semester course in the gender studies minor taught by CGDS Jan Warner Visiting Scholar Dr. Shakir Muhammed Usman, the event was attended by about 30 faculty, staff, and community members. After the welcome address by Dr. Lynn Rose, CGDS Director of Research and Disability Studies, three students presented their work; the session was moderated by Hasan Majeed Baway, who interspersed lines from the poem “I am a Woman” in his comments. “Introduction to Gender Roles and Islam” was presented by Heschu Barzengi; next, Chenar Chalak Qade presented “Historical Background on Gender Roles and Islam,” which was followed by “Gender Roles and Kurdish Society and the Way Forward,” by Raz M. Abdulla. AUIS VPAA Dr. Wolfgang Hinck made closing remarks, after which the presenters were awarded certificates. CGDS hopes to continue to cooperate with other departments to celebrate the success of AUIS student-scholars who excel in gender-related courses.
Image description: There are six photos, all showing configurations of people in a conference room. The conference room is a large room with blue carpeting and brown wood walls. The front of the room has a raised stage with a podium, three flags, and a large projection screen. Two of the photos show people receiving certificates from a man, with another man standing at the podium. There is also a photo of the audience from the back, and one from the front. Another is a photo of an audience member making a comment, and there is also a group photo of five people—three men and two women—on stage.