G+JI Report 2017-2020

REPORT
2017-2020

Catalyze
Scholarship
Knowledge
Production
Research-Activist
Connection
Mentorship
Policy
Development
Engaged
Scholarship
Political Awareness
and Education
Community
Engagement
Collaborative
Projects
Interdisciplinary
Research
Intersectional
Feminism
Economic Justice
Gender Justice
LGBTQ+ Equality
Gender+
Gender Inequity
and Inequality
Feminist Theory
Racial Justice
Sex
Sexuality
Social Justice
Humanities
Law
STEM
Interdisciplinary
G + JI
Policy
Arts
Medicine

Contents
BACKGROUND AND MISSION 5
OBJECTIVES & VISION 7
G+JI IN NUMBERS 9
OVERVIEW 10
G+JI ANNUAL FACULTY COLLOQUIUM 11
GENDER+ JUSTICE RESEARCH PORTFOLIO 16
G+JI’S PROGRAMS 23
FILM SCREENINGS AND DISCUSSIONS 27
G+JI AND THE ARTS 28
G+JI AND THE GEORGETOWN WOMEN’S FORUM 30
ENGAGING AND SUPPORTING STUDENTS 31
INTERNATIONAL ENGAGEMENT 33
G+JI’S PARTNERS 34
TEAM 36
ADVISORY BOARD 37
CONNECT WITH G+JI 39
3

“The Gender + Justice
Initiative programming
has been very interesting
and inclusive!”
Kimberly D., Graduate Student
4

Background
During the academic year of 2015-16, faculty
from all three campuses at Georgetown
University participated in a set of exploratory
conversations about how best to harness
and support the work of Georgetown faculty
who are deeply engaged in research on
gender justice, particularly as it is situated
within social justice and civil rights.
Their goal was to
envisage the best kind
of structure for promoting
an intersectional and
interdisciplinary approach
to gender justice centered
at the University.
5

Mission
The mission of the Gender + Justice Initiative (G + JI) is to build on the longstanding, pathbreaking
research being done on sex and gender across Georgetown’s departments and campuses; to
catalyze scholarship and advocacy in these areas; and to make Georgetown a dynamic hub of
knowledge production, community engagement, and policy development on intersectional issues
of gender, racial, and economic justice. We aim to situate the leading university in the Nation’s capital
as a center of research on gender equity through collaborations among scholars, policy makers,
and advocates in Washington, D.C. and beyond. Building on Georgetown’s schools of law, policy,
medicine, and the arts and sciences, G + JI seeks to promote an intersectional and interdisciplinary
approach to gender justice focused on both scholarly enrichment and policy change. This work
advances Georgetown’s Jesuit tradition and commitment to “address the social realities of . . .
injustice and oppression” and to promote justice in the world. The G + JI invites faculty, staff, and
students from across the University to discuss and to collaborate on issues of sex, gender, sexuality,
feminism, intersectionality, inequity, and inequality.
Why the “+” ? We refer to “Gender + Justice” to signal that
our concerns have gender at the core but extend to race,
class, sexuality, and other markers of subordination.
6

G + JI Objectives
+
+
+
+
+
Plan and foster opportunities for scholarly
projects that promote gender, racial,
and economic justice
Support and disseminate research findings
on gender, racial, and economic justice
Connect G+JI researchers and scholars
with artists, advocates, community
members, and policymakers
Cultivate and mentor future
G+JI scholars and leaders
Host leading thinkers, scholars, and
performers who model gender justice
and transformative feminism
7

We envision our work as such:
8

PUBLIC EVENTS
33
ATTENDEES
2572
GEORGETOWN
PRESENTERS
81
Icon made by Freepik from www.flaticon.com
EXTERNAL
PRESENTERS
73
GEORGETOWN
PARTNERS
25 +
ADVISORY BOARD
MEMBERS
42
STUDENT
FELLOWS
5
RESEARCH PROJECTS
FUNDED
GRANTS
AWARDED
11 $
40k
9

Gender +
Justice
Initiative
presents 6-10 events
each academic year,
including the signature G + JI Annual Faculty Colloquium,
panel discussions, lectures, workshops, theater performances
and conversations, poetry readings, film screenings, and
faculty/student feminist mixers; as well as collaborative
events with internal and external partners, scholars,
students, artists, and community leaders.
G+JI invites faculty, students, and the larger community
to participate in meaningful conversations on critical
issues connected to gender+ justice.
10

The Annual
Faculty Research
Colloquium is G + JI’s signature event.
The Fall 2016 inaugural Colloquium
marked the official beginning of
the Gender + Justice Initiative!
This well-attended event brings together faculty from across the University
to share their research and work on issues of sex, gender, sexuality, feminism,
intersectionality and inequality, and discuss opportunities for interdisciplinary
conversations. These discussions from varied perspectives and methodologies offer
thought-provoking reflections and inspire meaningful action. The Colloquium
features 3 thematic panels of 10-15 min presentations, followed by a moderated
discussion and interactive Q & A with the audience.
The following pages give an overview of our four past colloquia.
11

G + JI Faculty
Colloquium
2016
The first Gender+ Justice
Initiative Faculty Research
Colloquium held on
September 23, 2016, marked
the beginning of the Gender+
Justice Initiative with three
cross-campus panels:
THE FIRST PANEL
WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES SEX DIFFERENCE MAKE?
Moderated by Kathryn Sandberg, Professor of Medicine & Director of the
Center for the Study of Sex Differences, School of Medicine:
Sex: Why is it Soooo Complicated?
by Kathryn Sandberg, Professor of Medicine & Director of the Center for the Study of Sex Differences
What Differences Do Gender Differences in Ways of Speaking – and Listening – Make?
by Deborah Tannen, Professor of Linguistics
Sex Differences in Memory and Language
by Michael Ullman, Professor of Neuroscience
Reframing the Global Sexual & Reproductive Health Agenda to Engage
Men for Gender Justice
by Dominick Shattuck, Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology
THE SECOND PANEL
GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE, LOCAL & GLOBAL
Moderated by Naomi Mezey, Professor of Law:
+
+
+
What Difference Does
Sex Difference Make?
Gender Based Violence:
Local & Global
Intersectional
Gender Justice
Intro: Findings of Campus Sexual Assault Survey at Georgetown
by Laura Cutway, Title IX Coordinator, Institutional Diversity, Equity, and Affirmative Action (IDEAA)
Past and Future of the Violence Against Women Act
by Victoria Nourse, Professor of Law
Violence, Trauma & Resilience following Domestic Violence,
Sexual Assault & Childhood Abuse
by Mary Ann Dutton, Professor of Psychiatry
Gender Based Violence in Conflict Zones
by Ranit Mishori, Professor of Family Medicine
THE THIRD PANEL
INTERSECTIONAL GENDER JUSTICE
Moderated by Denise Brennan, Professor and Chair of the Department of Anthropology:
#CanYouHearUsNow – American Muslim Women Responses to Islamophobia
by Engy Abdelkader, Senior Fellow, Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding
The Colloquium featured speakers
from the Georgetown University School
of Medicine, Georgetown College,
Georgetown University Law Center,
and School of Foreign Service.
Custom in Question: Female Circumcision between Cultural Accommodation
and Universal Human Rights
by Rogaia Abusharaf, Associate Professor of Anthropology, SFS-Qatar
Practices of Freedom: From Lorraine Hansberry to Suzan-Lori Parks
by Soyica Colbert, Associate Professor of African American Studies & Theater and Performance Studies
12

G + JI Faculty
Colloquium
2017
The second G+JI Colloquium
was held on October 13, 2017
with cross-campus panels on:
+
+
+
Intersectional
Gender Justice,
the Racialized and
Gendered Body
The Racialized and
Gendered Body
Change Agents and the
Possibility of Remaking
the Future
THE FIRST PANEL
INTERSECTIONAL GENDER JUSTICE
Moderated by Kristi Graves, Associate Professor of Oncology:
Intersectionality in Law and Scholarship
by Nan Hunter, Professor of Law
Speaking for, Speaking with, and Shutting up: on The Pragmatics of Truth Telling
by Mark Lance, Professor of Philosophy
Faux Heads of Households & the Gendered and Racialized Politics of Housing Reform
by Rosemary Ndubuizu, Assistant Professor of African American Studies
Effect of Maternal Stress during Pregnancy on Children's Health and Cancer Risk
by Joanna B. Kitlinska, Associate Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular & Cellular Biology
THE SECOND PANEL
THE RACIALIZED AND GENDERED BODY
Moderated by Denise Brennan, Professor and Chair of the Department of Anthropology:
Venus at Work: The Contracted Body and Cultural Representations of Saartjie Baartman
by Samantha Pinto, Associate Professor of English and African American Studies
White Slavery, Spiritualism, and the Crisis of Will in the Age of Contract
by Sherally Munshi, Associate Professor of Law
Research in Pregnancy: The Ethics of Risk / Benefit Tradeoffs between
Woman, Fetus, and Future Child
by Marisha Wickremsinhe, Research Associate, Kennedy Institute of Ethics
Working to Eliminate Disparities in Breast Cancer
by Filipa Lynce, Assistant Professor of Oncology
THE THIRD PANEL
CHANGE AGENTS AND THE POSSIBILITY OF REMAKING THE FUTURE
Moderated by Naomi Mezey, Professor of Law:
Pay Gap for Women Physicians in Neurology
by Nassim Zecavati, Associate Professor of Pediatrics
The Colloquium invited presenters
from the Georgetown University School
of Medicine, Georgetown College,
Georgetown University Law Center,
School of Foreign Service, Kennedy
Institute of Ethics, and Georgetown
Institute for Women, Peace and Security.
Living in the As-if: Johannesburg’s Chosen FEW Black Lesbian Soccer Team
by April Sizemore-Barber, Assistant Professor of the Practice, Women’s and Gender Studies
Combatting Gender Based Violence at Home: Do Laws have a Role?
by Jeni Klugman, Managing Director, Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security
13

G + JI Faculty
Colloquium
2018
The third Annual
G+JI Colloquium
was held on
November 9, 2018
with cross-campus
panels on:
+
+
+
#MeToo and Women
in the Workplace
Intersectionality:
Gender+
Access to
Health & Justice
THE FIRST PANEL
#MeToo AND WOMEN IN THE WORKPLACE
Moderated by Deborah Epstein, Professor of Law and Director
of the Domestic Violence Clinic:
#MeToo - Converting Conversation in Change
by Lisa Singh, Professor of Computer Science, Jamillah Williams, Professor of Law, Naomi Mezey, Professor of Law
The #MeToo Movement's Hidden Roots
by Lane Windham, Associate Director, Kalmanovitz Initiative for Labor and the Working Poor
Gender Degradation: How Legal Structures Perpetuate Occupational
Segregation and Gender Disparities
by Kristen Tiscione, Professor of Law
THE SECOND PANEL
INTERSECTIONALITY: GENDER +
Moderated by Nan Hunter, Professor of Law:
Intertextuality, Intersectionality, and Rachel Jeantel's Voice in the
State of Florida v. George Zimmerman
by Grace Sullivan Buker, Adjunct Lecturer, Linguistics Department, Georgetown College
Girlhood Interrupted: The Erasure of Black Girls' Childhood
by Rebecca Epstein, Executive Director, Georgetown Law Center on Poverty and Inequality
Engendering a Clinical Atmosphere of Safety and Acceptance for LGBTQ+
Patients at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital Department of Psychiatry
by Emily Aron, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Matt Salmon, Child Psychiatry Chief Fellow
Activism on Issues of Female Circumcision in Sub Saharan Africa
by Rogaia Abusharaf, Professor of Anthropology, SFS-Qatar
THE THIRD PANEL
ACCESS TO HEALTH & JUSTICE
Moderated by Dionne Coker-Appiah, Associate Professor of Psychiatry:
The Colloquium featured presentations
from the Georgetown University Law
Center, Massive Data Institute at the McCourt
School of Public Policy, Georgetown
College, Kalmanovitz Initiative for Labor
and the Working Poor, Georgetown Institute
for Women, Peace and Security, School of
Foreign Service, School of Medicine, and
School of Nursing and Health Studies.
Intimate Partner Violence: Enabling Access to Justice in Conflict-Affected States
by Jeni Klugman, Managing Director, Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace, and Security, Matthew Moore,
Hillary Rodham Clinton Law Fellow, Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace, and Security
Barriers to Health Care Access and Utilization Among Low Income High-Risk
Transgender in the United States: A Systematic Review of the Literature
by Jennifer Bouey, Associate Professor of International Health, School of Nursing and Health Studies
Telemedicine and Teen Access to Contraception
by Sonia Francone, Class of 2022, School of Medicine, Julie Graves, Associate Professor of Family Medicine,
Jessica Knox, Propel Medical PC
14

G + JI Faculty
Colloquium
2019
The fourth G+JI
Colloquium was held
on October 25, 2019 with
cross-campus panels on:
+
+
+
Gender+ Justice In and
Through Education
Public Health Gender+
Justice - Activism and
Policy Impact
Navigating Intersectional
Identities - Space, Race
and Politics
THE FIRST PANEL
GENDER + JUSTICE IN AND THROUGH EDUCATION
Moderated by Fida Adely, Associate Professor, School of Foreign Service:
Redefining the "Morehouse Man"
by Jill C. Morrison, Visiting Professor, Director, Women’s Law and Public Policy Fellowship, and Director,
Leadership & Advocacy for Women in Africa Program, Law Center
Title IX: What would it look like if we did it right? A student-led, inquiry-based, aspirational
and trans-disciplinarily course on realizing gender equity in higher education
by Sara Collina, Adjunct Professor, Women & Gender Studies Program, Georgetown College, Kayla Edwards-Friedland,
Georgetown School of Foreign Service 2022, Maggie Cullina, Georgetown College 2021
We don't dream: Black Female Emerging Scholars in Post-Apartheid South Africa
by Sabrina Wesley-Nero, Associate Teaching Professor & Director of Program in Education,
Inquiry and Justice, Georgetown College
THE SECOND PANEL
PUBLIC HEALTH GENDER + JUSTICE – ACTIVISM AND POLICY IMPACT
Moderated by Christopher King, Associate Professor & Chair of the Department of
Health Systems Administration, School of Nursing & Health Studies:
Socio-Emotional Processing: Gender Differences in Social Adversity and Violence Exposure
by Mary Fesalbon and Masha Stoianova, Research Assistants under the supervision of Professor John Vanmeter
and PhD Candidate Shady El Damaty from Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience (IPN), Center for Functional
and Molecular Imaging, School of Medicine, G + JI Summer Research Grant Awards 2019 Recipient
Stop and Listen to Their Voices; The Impact of Recent Changes to the Immigration Regime on Women
by Sara Schotland, Adjunct Professor, Disability Studies, and Law & Literature, Georgetown College & Law Center
Menstruation, Reproductive Health and Homelessness: Attitudes and Experiences from
Residents at one Midwestern Shelter
by Ashi Arora, Medical Student, School of Medicine
THE THIRD PANEL
NAVIGATING INTERSECTIONAL IDENTITIES – SPACE, RACE AND POLITICS
Moderated by Melyssa Haffaf, Program Director, Gender + Justice Initiative:
Recovering, Remembering, Recognizing, Persistence: An Oral History of the First African-American
Women to Attend and Graduate from the Georgetown University School of Nursing
by Brian Floyd, Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs and Adjunct Professor, School of Nursing and Health Studies
The Colloquium featured presentations
from Georgetown University Law Center,
Georgetown College, School of Medicine,
School of Nursing and Health Studies, and
School of Continuing Studies.
African American Females Pursue Leadership Roles Despite Continuous Challenges
Demonstrating Noteworthy Resilience
by Soyini Richards, Adjunct Professor, School of Continuing Studies
Queer the Clock: Black youth transgressing time and producing alternative futurities
by Rahsaan Mahadeo, Postdoctoral Fellow in Sociology, Georgetown University
Do Women Mayors Enhance Patent Innovation?
by Neel Sukhatme, Associate Professor of Law, Georgetown University Law Center
15

Gender + Justice
Research Portfolio
Supporting and growing scholarship
on sex and gender+ issues is one of
G + JI’s main objectives.
G+JI is proud to sponsor various cutting-edge research projects across fields
through competitive research grants. The grants are intended to support
interdisciplinary research related to intersectional issues of gender, racial,
and economic justice across GU campuses, schools, and programs.
All research projects examine relevant and timely issues with the aim of
advancing gender+ justice and reducing inequality and inequity both locally
and globally. G+JI’s research portfolio counts 11 projects conducted by
Georgetown groups, faculty, and graduate and professional students.
Take a look at our Research Portfolio.
16

Big Data and #MeToo
Faculty Collaborators:
PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE
Gender+ Justice Initiative and the
Georgetown McCourt School of
Public Policy’s Massive Data Institute
Computer Science Professor
Lisa Singh
Linguistics Professor
Deborah Tannen
Anthropology Professor and Chair
Denise Brennan
Law Professor
Naomi Mezey
Law Professor
Jamillah Williams
Law Professor
Nan Hunter
Law Professor
Deborah Epstein
The project’s early findings include:
In the Spring of 2018, G + JI started a research collaboration with the
Georgetown McCourt School of Public Policy’s Massive Data Institute
on the #MeToo Movement against sexual harassment and assault,
particularly in the workplace. The ongoing research project analyzes
Twitter data around the hashtag that went viral in October 2017.
This project is the first large-scale effort to characterize the first year
of the movement by building an analytic engine that combines outputs
from different inference algorithms to understand the population
and conversations occurring. These types of platforms and tools
are necessary for a collective understanding of sexual assault,
for reducing our collective tolerance for it, and for developing
evidence that can be used to impact public policy.
Forthcoming publication: Jamillah B. Williams, Lisa Singh &
Naomi Mezey, "#MeToo as Catalyst for Change: A Glimpse into
21st Century Activism", 2019 University of Chicago Legal Forum.
Number of #MeToo Tweets to date:
More than 8.1 million
The most prevalent topics of
conversation have been
a) the movement/activism
b) sexual abuse and assault
c) harassment
d) politics
Some top associated hashtags:
#TimesUp, #WithYou, #Resist and other political hashtags
Over 100 occupations are mentioned at least
100 times. The professions relate to all walks
of life, including professors and students
17

G + JI
Summer
Research
Grants
In Summer 2019, G+JI’s awarded 10 summer grants ranging from
$1000 to $5000 to support faculty, groups, and students to conduct
research on gender and its intersections. All projects examine
relevant and timely issues with the aim of advancing G+JI’s
research and reducing violence, discrimination, inequality and
inequity both locally and globally.
Faculty Research
1
Project and Workshop on Darfurian Women Refugees in the United States
Rogaia Abusharaf, Professor of Anthropology
Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, Qatar
Sudanese Woman Protesting Omar al-Bashir’s Regime
in Washington, DC in March 2019
by Phil Pasquini
This project examines the views of gender justice among Darfur refugee women
in the United States. The overwhelming majority of these women were granted
residence in a variety of American cities following the scorched earth policy
meted out of their villages. Despite the devastation of Darfuri communities by
the Government of Sudan and their allied Rapid Defense Forces and Janjaweed
militias, these women experience gender-specific violence in the form of rape
and other forms of sexual assault. This project seeks to amplify their voices and
to advance their perspectives on the meaning of gender justice. Given the recent
political upheaval in the Sudan, documentation of these views is far more urgent
than ever before. In coordination with refugee organizations in the United States,
Dr. Abusharaf will organize a workshop with a number of refugee women and
Darfuri activists to speak about the ways in which their particular experiences
have sharpened their perspectives on gender justice especially in their home
country, which is currently experiencing momentous transitions.
18

2
Understanding Different Measures of Intimate Partner Violence
Jeni Klugman, Managing Director
Georgetown Institute of Women, Peace and Security
Domestic Violence Awareness Ribbon
The availability of data on 12-month (current) prevalence of intimate partner
violence has recently expanded, and we now have a coverage of almost 150
countries. The distinction between lifetime and current prevalence is not
just a question of measurement, and could reflect substantive differences
in women’s ability to leave abusive relationships. In countries where the
difference between lifetime and 12-month IPV rates is small, it may be more
difficult for women to exit. This hypothesis emerges from our preliminary
analysis of the 130 countries for which we have data on both lifetime and
current prevalence of IPV. The analysis will systematically examine whether
countries with low current IPV prevalence tend to have larger differences
with lifetime rates. We would examine such factors as a robust social safety
net, stronger laws and norms against violence, alongside child custody
rights and the acceptability of women living independently. Important
implications for policy and legal reform are expected to emerge.
3
Strengthening Gender & Legal Advocacy to Address Sex-related Corruption
Lisa Bhansali (L’92), Adjunct Professor
Georgetown University Law Center
The #MeToo movement has brought new attention to sex-related crimes,
yet "sextortion" is often limited to high profile cases and is often unfamiliar
to prosecutors. This research examines cases with a focus on the scope,
scale, and impact of this crime. It includes definitions across jurisdictions
with a focus on Latin America, and considers its global nature as well.
Questions, such as how prosecutors creatively apply existing regulations
will also be studied through practical examples. Finally, the work will
identify factors that exacerbate risks, where corruption and gender injustice
intersect, including strategies to enhance coordination between legal
and gender communities.
19

Group Research
4
Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women
Department of Health Systems Administration O'Neill Health Law Institute
School of Nursing and Health Studies, Georgetown University Law Center
Co-investigators:
Team:
Bette Jacobs, Distinguished Scholar at the O’Neill
Institute for National and Global Health Law and
Professor of Health Systems Administration
Marjorie Mandelstam Balzer, Research Professor
at Georgetown University Berkley Center and
Department of Anthropology
Sherally Munshi,
Associate Professor of Law,
Georgetown University Law Center
Julia Langley,
Faculty Director of Arts and Medicine,
Georgetown Lombardi Cancer Center
Margaret Moss,
Professor and Director of the
Longhouse University of
British Columbia
Laura Cahier,
Ph.D Candidate,
Aix-Marseille Université
Sign Remembering Missing and Murdered
Indigenous Women, Canada
Vulnerability to violence and its resounding consequences is magnified
when gender, race, and sexuality intersect. The purpose of this proposal
is to address one such population in which growing urgency has
triggered two national reports: missing and murdered indigenous
women in the US and Canada. According to the US Department of
Justice and the Centers for Disease Control native women are murdered
at a rate of ten times the national average. Similarly, Canada has acted
on reports of the same magnitude. There is an epidemic of women
missing from their families and communities whose fate is serious injury,
disease, or unknown. Underlying factors include inadequate mental
health and substance abuse services, intergenerational trauma,
domestic or partner violence, geographic isolation, racism, lack of
empowerment, and jurisdictional issues. It has been reported that
LGBTQ indigenous women are at particular risk. Various advocacy
groups have advanced political action. There has not been influence
from the academy with its interdisciplinary intellectual tools to highlight
and support solutions to this matter of gender and justice. This proposal
aims to establish a working group at Georgetown University that will
cooperate with University of British Columbia to establish an action
plan to address the multidisciplinary facets to aid MMIW.
20

5
Socio-Emotional Processing: Gender Differences in Social Adversity and Violence Exposure
Department of Neurology
Georgetown University Medical Center
Team:
John W. VanMeter, Director, Center for Functional and
Molecular Imaging, Georgetown University Medical Center
Mary Fesalbon, MRI Technician/Research Assistant
Shady El Damaty, Ph.D. Candidate
Maria Stoianova, MRI Technician/Research Assistant
Kinne Van Hecke, Research Assistant
Veronica Mucciarone, Research Assistant
The Adolescent Development Study (ADS) is currently collecting data from young adults that have participated in a brain development study
at Georgetown University since 2011. One of the study aims is to determine whether gender identity and social adversity may explain differences
in the configuration of the emotional brain network measured at adulthood. Identity formation in developing adolescents is considered to be
co-influenced by social influences and intrinsic neurobiological responses to one’s environment. Sustained stress may drive patterns of neural
activity that reinforces maladaptive behavior that may increase the risk for mental health disorders. ADS will use films selected from a curated
database of emotional clips during functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) to measure brain activity related to emotional states and
psychological instruments to estimate attitudes and perceptions regarding gender identity. Our experiments will help us better understand the
relationship between social adversity, gender identity, and development of the emotional brain network.
6
Improving Outcomes for Returning Citizens in DC
Georgetown University
McDonough School of Business
Pivot Program, Prisons
and Justice Initiative
Team:
Pietra Rivoli, Co-Director Pivot Program, Vice-Dean
and Professor, McDonough School of Business
Marc Howard, Co-Director Pivot Program,
Professor of Government and Law
Joshua Miller, Pivot Managing Director Government and Law
Allyssa Lovegrove, Pivot Academic Director
George Chochos, Pivot Assistant Director
Aliyah Graves-Brown, Program Coordinator
Inaugural Class of Georgetown Pivot 2019 Graduation,
June 2019
This research project will examine the challenges faced by returning citizens in DC and how
collaboration across stakeholders can create productive pathways. The particular interest is
in assessing prospects for collaboration across sectors to contribute to successful re-entry
through education in entrepreneurship and the liberal arts along with practical experience
gained through internships.
21

Graduate and Professional
Students Research
7
Last of Her Line: The Sterilization of Black Women and Girls in the South
"Last of Her Line: The Sterilization of Black Women and Girls in the South" seeks to uncover the
otherwise untold stories of Black women and girls in the rural south who have been subject to forced
and coerced sterilizations known as ‘Mississippi appendectomies’. Using the story of Fannie Lou
Hamer as a starting point, the project will connect the historical sterilization of Black women and girls to
the modern ways in which the state seeks to regulate and control the bodies and reproductive abilities
and choices of Black women and girls through the law.
LuShunda Hill, Law Student,
Georgetown University Law Center
Fannie Lou Hamer,
American civil rights,
voting, and women's rights
leader and organizer
8
Faith and Gender Justice India: The Case of the Sabarimala Temple Row
This study explores the clash between religious faith and gender justice in India, using the example
of the Sabarimala temple row. It argues that gender is the realm of manifestation and contestation of
Hindu religious theory in India. It explores the wide array of operative stories and narratives in Hindu
religious literature, specifically the material on goddesses and their place in religious texts that help
craft the image of women for society. These are used to understand the formation of boundaries that
are erected for the personal and political participation of women.
Shruthi Rajkumar, Master of Arts
in Security Studies Program
Walsh School of Foreign Service
Indian women at holy site
in Pushkar, India
9
The Rights of Indigenous Women to Natural Resources in Cameroon
The purpose of this study is to assess Indigenous women’s rights to natural resources in Cameroon.
The 1994 Forest Code that deals with administration of natural resources fails to recognize and
protect the rights of Indigeous people to lands and resources. This research assesses the extent
to which the 1994 Environmental Code of Cameroon impacts Indigenous women’s rights to natural
resources and the factors hindering these rights. It makes use of key person interviews with
government officials, notables and head of women groups as well as focus group discussions,
questionnaires, surveys, and video/audio recordings. The data is analyzed and interpreted using
GPS and Geospatial referencing, tables, charts and descriptive analysis. Lastly, this project also
proposes policy considerations for changes in protecting Indigenous women’s rights to natural
resources ensuring that justice is served.
Ayaisha Agbor, Master’s in Law,
International Legal Studies,
Georgetown University Law Center
Portrait of Baka pigmy
woman with her child,
Dja Reserve, Cameroon
10
Examine and Improve Gender Gap in Surgery through the Examination
of Technology, Tools, and Protocols
The number of women enrolled in medical schools continues to rise and has reached parity with
male counterparts; however, gender gaps remain within the practice of medicine, including lower
rates of women entering male-dominated specialties and higher rates of burnout. As the prevalence
of burnout increases, the need to promote well-being has become a priority. Three primary domains
contribute to physician well-being: culture of wellness, efficiency of practice, and personal resilience.
This research project aims to investigate elements that contribute to the efficiency of practice,
including technology, tools, and training techniques, and explore ways gender-conscious
innovation can contribute to physician well-being.
Noosha Deravi, Jennifer Purks,
and Nellie Darling
Georgetown University
School of Medicine Students
Female Surgeon
22

G + JI Panels, Spotlight
Lectures,
Roundtables,
& Symposia
September 27, 2018
The Gender + Justice Initiative aims
to be a leader in supporting and
sharing gender research and engaging
the Georgetown and D.C. community in
conversations about the intersectional
nature of sex and gender. The panels,
lectures, roundtables, and symposia
that G + JI has created and sponsored
include a wide range of gender-related
topics such as race, sexual harassment,
health, and human rights. Through
diverse panelists and speakers, the
Gender + Justice Initiative has
promoted discussions around
gender intersectionality and
challenged the community to
question society’s gender norms
and stand up for the rights of
oppressed groups.
Dress Coded: Black Girls, Bodies, and
the Bias Embedded in School Dress Codes
This very well attended event was co-organized with the National
Women’s Law Center and invited perspectives from high school
students, advocates, educators, and scholars of the D.C. community.
The important discussion highlighted the gender and racial bias in
school dress code policies that have led to the interruption of girls’
education simply because of their bodies and the clothes they
choose to wear. The rules are disproportionately targeted at Black
girls and curvier girls, who are being held responsible for any
inappropriate behavior from their male classmates.
October 11, 2018
Exposing the Invisible #MeToo, a Conversation with
Bernice Yeung, Journalist and Author of In A Day’s Work
Professor of Law Jane Aiken moderated a discussion based
on Yeung’s book chronicling the journeys of women who sought
to disrupt the patterns that promote invisibility and help all
immigrant women facing exploitation.
23

October 14, 2016
Symposium: Sexual Assault and Academic Freedom on College Campuses
This symposium brought together both academic administrators and legal scholars in the fields of
First Amendment and Fourteenth Amendment law, sexual violence, civil rights, and education law.
Scholars examined and debated the role of the first amendment in protecting offensive speech on
campus, the use of “trigger warnings” in the classroom, the impact of new policies regarding both
the processing and reporting of complaints on faculty, staff, and students, the nature of speech
itself in the college context, and both the dangers of sexual assault and the risks to academic
freedom and fair process now facing both men and women on college campuses.
March 23, 2017
Health Equity Forum – Access to Justice: Promoting the Inclusion of Both Men
and Women in Criminal Justice Systems
This discussion was moderated by Kathleen Coogan, Senior Gender Advisor for the United States
Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) and
Adjunct Professor at the Ohio Northern University Pettit College of Law and David A. Lewis, a
United States Foreign Service Officer who has served in the Bahamas, Barbados, Mexico and
Pakistan, and is currently an INL Program Office overseeing rule of law programs in East Africa.
April 6, 2018
Samuel Dash Conference on Human Rights: Defending Women’s Human Rights
The 2018 Samuel Dash Conference on Human Rights was entitled Defending Women’s Human
Rights: Achievements, Obstacles, and Opportunities for Empowerment. In collaboration with
Georgetown Law’s Human Rights Institute, the event included panels on the protection of girls’
rights through the cessation of FGM and child marriage, the empowerment and protection of the
defenders of women’s human rights, and the fight against the human trafficking of women and
girls. The keynote address came from Her Royal Highness Princess Sarah Zeid of Jordan, who is
a strong advocate for maternal and newborn health.
April 9-10, 2018
We’re In This Thing Together Creative Coalitions in Devastating Times
The Georgetown Gender+ Justice Initiative co-sponsored the Lannan Center for Poetics and Social
Practice Symposium. It showcased speakers who work in and on the collective to sustain creative work
in times of great political precarity. Over this two-day event, speakers discussed the current state of
affairs in collective organizing and creative endeavors.
April 19, 2018
The #MeToo Movement – Why Now Again? What Next?
This roundtable focused on the #MeToo movement, including discussions of its origins, its
implications, and its effectiveness. It also included conversations about the impact of #MeToo on
low-income workers and women of color. The panelists included women from the Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission, the National Women’s Law Center, and Georgetown’s faculty.
24

18, 2019
November
- 8:30pm
6:30pm
August 27, 2019
Lack of Diversity in Medicine: a National Emergency by Dr. Quinn Capers
These lectures addressed the flagrant and problematic lack of diversity in medicine - particularly Black doctors - they
also offered strategies to attract and retain medical students of color. This event was co-sponsored by the School of
Medicine Office of Diversity and Inclusion, Georgetown Women in Medicine, Georgetown Office of Institutional Diversity,
Equity & Affirmative Action, Medical Center Committee on Faculty Development, and Gender + Justice Initiative.
November 15, 2019
Twice as Good: Leadership and Power for Women of Color -
A conversation with Dr. Mary J. Wardell-Ghirarduzzi
This conversation with Dr. Mary Wardell-Ghirarduzzi from the University of San Francisco on her latest book Twice as
Good attracted many students and staff. In this inspiring book, she recounts her leadership experience and journey as
a woman of color in higher education. By doing so, she invites all women of color and underrepresented people to step
into their power and align their personal power and cultural identity into their leadership.
This event was hosted by the Center for Social Justice, Center for Multicultural Equity and Access, Georgetown
Jesuit Community, Georgetown Women's Alliance, Gender + Justice Initiative, Office of Institutional Diversity,
Equity & Affirmative Action, Office of Student Equity and Inclusion, and the Women's Center.
November 15, 2019
Panel Discussion: Everyday We Hustlin’
This panel discussion addressed young creatives, entrepreneurs, and anyone looking to understand the future of arts
industries and economies, this panel featured S. Craig Watkins, Ernest S. Sharpe Centennial Professor at the University
of Texas at Austin, on his new book Don't Knock the Hustle: Young Creatives, Tech Ingenuity, and the Making of a New
Innovation Economy. Watkins was joined by Elle Hearns, speaker/organizer/strategist/writer; April Kae, musician with
Imanigold/writer/speaker/model/social media influencer; Jazmine Walker, podcaster/author/Black Joy theorist/influencer.
This conversation was presented by Critical Frequencies, Department of Performing Arts, Department of African
American Studies, Georgetown College, Center for Social Justice, Center for Financial Markets & Policy, Georgetown
Entrepreneurship Initiative, and Gender + Justice Initiative
November 18, 2019
Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women Symposium
This symposium was an immersive introduction to the alarming levels of violence perpetrated on Indigenous women
in the United States and Canada. It is the third leading cause of death of Native women.
Human
Rights at
Home
M I S S I N G
&
M U R D E R E D
I N D I G E N O U S
W O M E N
S Y M P O S I U M
LISTEN & ENGAGE - We had to honor of hosting US Congresswoman Debra Haaland (D-NM), Qajaq Robinson (Commissioner of Canada's National
Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls), and Christopher Foley (Attorney at the Indian Law Resource Center) on the legal
and policy issues related to tribal, national, and international governance and the challenges of reducing violence against Native women. The
dynamic panel discussion was introduced by Dr. Bette Jacobs, Professor of Health Systems Administration and Distinguished Scholar at the O’Neill
Institute for National and Global Health Law. TASTE - Refreshments based on North American Native cultures will be served following the discussion.
SEE - A red dress exhibit will be curated and displayed to memorialize missing and murdered Indigenous women.
This important discussion was hosted by the Georgetown University Indigenous Studies Working Group, Gender+ Justice Initiative,
and Institut des Amériques.
25

Moderator
Georgetown
Law
University
& scholar
Professor
in
specialized
and
constitutional
rights
civil
President for
Vice
& Strategy at
Litigation
Campaign Legal
the
Georgetown Law
Center,
& scholar
Professor
in civil rights
specialized
and liberties
panel of leading experts will address the long struggle for LGBTQ
A
as well as the current threats and challenges with an emphasis
rights
specialized
Attorney
rights and policies
in
trans
affecting
for FreeState
people
Justice
on transgender rights.
Panelists
555 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W. Washington, DC 20001
of Policy,
Director
Research &
LGBT
Communications
for Center for
Project
American Progress
specialized
Attorney
LGBTQ immigration
in
Whitman-Walker
for
Health
Analyst and
Legal
Court
Supreme
correspondent
Slate magazine
for
The Georgetown Gender+ Justice Initiative and the Newseum present a conversation
inspired by the exhibit “Rise Up: Stonewall and the LGBTQ Rights Movement”
November 2nd, 2019 at the Newseum
November 2nd, 2019 at 2:30PM
Saturday,
Free with Newseum admission. Seating is on a space-available basis.
Rise Up: LGBTQ Rights Then and Now
Rise Up: LGBTQ Rights Then and Now
Nan Hunter Paul Smith Sandy James Sharita Gruberg Connor Cory Mark Stern
The Georgetown Gender+ Justice Initiative and the Newseum presented a conversation inspired by
the museum’s exhibit, “Rise Up: Stonewall and the LGBTQ Rights Movement”
Newseum Knight TV Studio
555 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W. Washington, DC 20001
“Transgender people are first and foremost people, and as such, deserve to be treated with dignity
and respect.” Sandy James, JD, PhD, Attorney specialized in trans rights
A panel of leading experts composed of two Law Professors and four Georgetown alumni addressed
the long struggle for LGBTQ rights as well as the current threats and challenges with an emphasis on
transgender rights. The conversation was moderated by Georgetown University Law Professor
& scholar specialized in constitutional and civil rights.
Panelists included:
Paul Smith, Vice President for Litigation & Strategy at the Campaign Legal Center, Georgetown Law
Professor & scholar specialized in civil rights and liberties
Sandy James, Attorney specialized in rights and policies affecting trans people for FreeState Justice
Sharita Gruberg, Director of Policy, LGBT Research & Communications Project for Center for
American Progress
Connor Cory, Attorney specialized in LGBTQ immigration for Whitman-Walker Health
Mark Stern, Legal Analyst and Supreme Court correspondent for Slate magazine
The Georgetown University Gender+ Justice Initiative is excited to partner with
the DC Public Library and present: Book Hill Talks: The Gender + Justice Series
Special conversations
with Georgetown authors
02/05/2020, at 7PM
Robert Patterson in
conversation with an artist
Destructive Desires:
Rhythm and Blues Culture and
the Politics of Racial Equality
02/26/2020, at 7PM
Carolyn Forché
in conversation with
Maureen Corrigan
What You Have Heard Is True:
A Memoir of Witness and Resistance
2019 National Book Award Finalist
04/22/2020, at 7PM
Lane Windham
in conversation with an activist
Knocking on Labor’s Door:
Union Organizing in the 1970s and
the Roots of a New Economic Divide
2018 David Montgomery Award
26

Film Screenings and Discussions
ROLL RED ROLL
"I believe this film should be a required watch for schools.
It was truly inspiring and impactful." Ace F., Undergraduate Student
Two very dynamic conversations were held with the Director Nancy Schwartzman and
our community. The first event, held at the Georgetown Law Center, allowed to show
clips and discuss the cultural and legal aspects of sexual violence with Law students.
The second event, on Main Campus, was a screening and discussion in partnership
with the organization Men Can Stop Rape and a young survivor of sexual violence,
Karla Lozano.
On October 26th, 2019, the Gender + Justice Initiative
hosted 2 well attended events centered around the
award-winning and acclaimed documentary Roll Red Roll,
a film centered on the perpetrators of a sexual assault that
became the subject of national attention.
COUNCILWOMAN
The film brings an original perspective to films dedicated to the topic. Rather than
bring unnecessary focus on the victim, the film inspects the community which covered
and ignored the assault of a young woman by two star footballers. In its investigation,
Roll Red Roll reveals not only blatant willful ignorance, but also a deep-seated culture
of victim blaming, toxic masculinity, and objectification of women. It highlighted the
fact that open conversations about assault and rape culture, like the one following
the film, have not been part of popular culture at all, until recently. Moreover, Karla
Lozano offered a very touching testimony in order to encourage our young community
members to speak up and fight rape culture. Our partner from Men Can Stop Rape
spoke on the fact that changing social norms requires dosage. This idea speaks to the
challenges of reshaping patriarchal norms which have dominated global culture for
centuries, and in a smaller scale, the challenge of garnering consequences for violent
crimes committed by young, white men. The audience was very pleased to hear
Nancy Schwartzman’s speak about her experience and reasons for making this film
as well as learning about ways to contribute to the change.
Councilwoman is the story of a hotel housekeeper by day, Carmen Castillo, who won a
hotly-contested seat on the Providence, Rhode Island city council. Between shifts, she
built a name for herself in local politics as she fought to unionize and, unsuccessfully,
to raise the minimum hourly wage to $15 for all local hotel workers. She also infuriated
her more corporate-minded constituents in Ward 9. Councilwoman tracks the story
from her arrival in the U.S. from the Dominican Republic in the mid-1990s to her 2014
reelection bid, when she once again espouses a fiery progressive platform. Neither
of her opponents proves shy about using her marginalized economic status and lack
of formal higher education against her. Castillo battles personal setbacks and legacy
notions of who is qualified to run for political office — all the while fiercely defending
her vision of a society in which all people earn enough to support themselves and
their families.
The screening of Councilwoman was followed by a discussion on intersectionality and
political representation with the Georgetown community. The event was co-sponsored
by the Kalmanovitz Initiative for Labor and the Working Poor, WILL Empower Program,
the Gender + Justice Initiative.
27

G + JI and
the Arts
The Georgetown University Gender Justice Initiative,
and Theater & Performance Studies Program
Invite you to a dialogue with Sarah Ruhl’s
In the Next Room, or the vibrator play
moderated by Prof. Denise Brennan,
with director, Prof. Derek Goldman & Prof. of Law Nan Hunter
Thursday, April 6
at the Davis Performing Arts Center at Georgetown University
Pre-Show Lobby Talk ¾ 7:30 PM
Performance ¾ 8:00 PM
Post-Show Conversation ¾following the performance
Since Spring 2017, the Gender +
Justice Initiative has partnered
with the Georgetown Department
of Performing Arts on the sponsorship
of multiple events and has facilitated
pre and post-performance discussions.
Events have included conversations
with playwrights, scholars, artists
connecting the show’s narrative to
issues pertinent to the current
discourse on gender and sexuality.
April 2017
Written by celebrated MacArthur Award-winning playwright
Sarah Ruhl, this Pulitzer Prize finalist play also received
three 2010 Tony Award nominations for its Broadway
production, including Best New Play. Set in a seemingly
perfect, well-to-do Victorian home, proper gentleman and
scientist Dr. Givings has innocently invented an
extraordinary new device for treating "hysteria" in women
(and occasionally men): the vibrator. Adjacent to the
doctor's laboratory, his young and energetic wife tries to
tend to their newborn daughter—and wonders exactly what
is going on in the next room.
Tickets may be purchased online at
performingarts.georgetown.edu
or through the Callagy Box Office from 3-6PM on
weekdays at 202-687-ARTS (2787).
performingarts.georgetown.edu
Post-performance panel discussion on
Female Sexuality in conjunction with
“In the Next Room: The Vibrator Play”
Written by celebrated MacArthur Award-winning
playwright Sarah Ruhl, this Pulitzer Prize finalist play
also received three 2010 Tony Award nominations for
its Broadway production, including Best New Play.
This discussion was moderated by Prof.
of Anthropology Denise Brennan, with director,
Prof. Derek Goldman & Prof. of Law Nan Hunter.
28

Supported by The Gender+ Justice Initiative (GJI)
Sovereignty show art by Goni Montez
Spotlight
A Conversation with
Playwright and Georgetown Alumna
MARY KATHRYN NAGLE
Part of the Arena Stage/Georgetown University/Andrew R. Ammerman F’72 Partnership
and the GU Gender + Justice Initiative
February 7 | 5 p.m. | FREE
DAVIS PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, GONDA THEATRE
A playwright and a partner
at Pipestem Law, a Law firm
specializing in sovereignty of
Native tribes and peoples, Mary
Kathryn Nagle (COL ‘05) received
her degree in Justice and Peace
Studies before attending law
school at Tulane. Her daring new
play Sovereignty debuts at Arena
Stage as part of its Power Plays initiative, and
travels the intersections of personal and political
truths, historic and present struggles, as a
Cherokee lawyer fights to restore her Nation’s
jurisdiction while confronting the ever-present
ghosts of her grandfathers.
Conversation also includes:
PROF. NAOMI MEZEY, (GU LAW CENTER)
Co-coordinator of the Gender + Justice Initiative
PROF. RICARDO ORTIZ (ENGLISH)
Moderator
performingarts.georgetown.edu
November 2018
Pre-performance panel
discussion on
What Could I Do?
Questions for Today
from Our Class
Panelists discussed the
process of staging Our Class,
a play that questions one’s own
agency in the face of neighbor on
neighbor violence, in the era of #MeToo and with a focus
on Georgetown’s recent implementation of Bringing in the
Bystander trainings. Guests included Prof. of Psychiatry
Dionne Smith Coker-Appiah, Assistant Choreographer
for Our Class Julia Tvardovskaya, Conflict Resolution
Program, Mariana Nozela Prado, and Community
Engagement Manager for the Davis Performing Arts
Center, Vanessa Gilbert.
SADIE DUPUIS (of SPEEDY ORTIZ) POETRY READING
from her new book Mouthgaurd (Gramma Press)
SADIE DUPUIS (of SPEEDY ORTIZ) POETRY READING
from her new book Mouthgaurd (Gramma Press)
TUESDAY, NOV 13, 5:00-6:00
TUESDAY, McNEIR NOV HALL, 13, 5:00-6:00 GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
McNEIR HALL, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
co-sponsored co-sponsored by the by Department the Department of Performing of Arts, Performing Department of Arts, English, Department and the Gender+ of Justice English, Initiative and the Gender+ Justice Initiative
Wednesday, February 7th, 2018
Mary Kathryn Nagle Discusses Pursuing
Theater, Law, and Social Change
Mary Kathryn Nagle (COL ‘05) returned to campus to
discuss the debut of her new play, Sovereignty. Nagle
reflected on her time at Georgetown and how she wanted
to be both a lawyer and a playwright. Torn between the
two career paths, she told the audience about how she
decided to do both. Students and faculty members
were delighted by Nagle’s personal story. Johnny Monday,
an undergraduate student, was pleased with Nagle’s
knowledge and expertise: “It is exciting to hear from an
alumna both trying to make a difference in the ‘real world’
and using art in that process. Her dedication to righting
the wrongs of the legal system both in her career as a
lawyer and as a playwright is inspiring.”
The poems in Sadie Dupuis’ Mouthguard are a means of developing a deep personal
The poems in Sadie Dupuis’ Mouthguard are a means of developing a deep person
mythology; to read them is to feel what self-discovery is, and then recognize it in the rearview
mirror, disappearing over mythology; the broken American to read horizon. them They is to emerge feel from what the self-discovery place where is, and then recognize it in
known experience and mirror, the unknown disappearing collide; a borderline over we the all cross broken on the American way to becoming horizon. They emerge from the p
ourselves.
known experience and the unknown collide; a borderline we all cross on the way
Like crying alone in a ourselves.
movie theater,
Mouthguard is tender, self-deprecating,
nostalgic, and unavoidably romantic. In the
end, we’re all simultaneously Like crying comforted alone and in a movie theater,
freaked out by the idea that there is something
Mouthguard is tender, self-deprecating,
bigger and deeper in the quiet spaces operating
within us, something just nostalgic, out of reach. and This unavoidably romantic. In the
book gives us the language end, to we’re describe all this, simultaneously a
comforted and
solid place we can remember together.
freaked out by the idea that there is something
“You will read these poems bigger and and then your deeper in the quiet spaces operating
thoughts will rearrange in the air.”
MELISSA LOZADA-OLIVA within us, something just out of reach. This
book gives us the language to describe this, a
“This is a book where magical poems drive us
solid place we can remember together.
with a holy momentum towards a lonely road
where on the side of it we can find a party of
accidents that we are all “You invited will to.” read these poems and then your
DOROTHY LASKY
thoughts will rearrange in the air.”
MELISSA LOZADA-OLIVA
Sadie Dupuis (of Speedy Ortiz) Poetry Reading
“This is a book where magical poems drive us
with a holy momentum towards a lonely road
where on the side of it we can find a party of
accidents that we are all invited to.”
DOROTHY LASKY
Sadie Dupuis, from the Indie music band Speedy Ortiz,
read poems from her book, Mouthguard, which shares
own self-discovery and explores the idea that we all have
something more within us. As a musician, Dupuis has been
recognized for her remarkable songwriting talent, and
Speedy Ortiz has been consistently celebrated in music
circles for their unique lyricism.
29

Engaging Alumni:
Women’s Forum
Annual Collaboration
For the past two years, the Gender+
Justice Initiative has been collaborating
with the Women’s Forum by sponsoring
panel discussions related to questions
of feminism, gender, and social justice.
SPONSORED PANEL DISCUSSIONS:
May 3rd, 2018
Feminism as a Personal and Professional Identity
with Naomi Mezey, LiJia Gong (F'08, L'13),
and Elizabeth Velez
This interactive and intergenerational workshop
started with some reflections on feminist identity
from Baby Boomer, GenX, and Millennial perspectives.
It asked participants to consider how, why, and
whether they identity as feminist in their personal
and professional lives; how their identities and
understandings of feminism have changed over time;
and how feminism fits (or not) with other dimensions of
identity which are a source of strength or self-reflection.
March 28th, 2019
#MeToo: Sexual Harassment & Intersectionality
with Chelsea Fuller, Ianthe Metzger (C'12), Professor
Lisa Singh, Ellen Haring
The #MeToo movement has been a powerful voice in
bringing dialogue about gender, harassment, and
power to the forefront. However, the narratives and
experiences shared by women of color, women of
different backgrounds and within different industries
aren't lifted up as frequently - which serves as a reminder
of the work that still needs to be done to foster an
inclusive, authentic, and respectful society. This panel
explored how the intersections of race, gender, and
class manifest in the workplace, as well as in our
communities, and how we can respond meaningfully
across these intersections.
30

Engaging Students
HoyasForShe Fellows
As a part of the U.N. Women’s HeForShe campaign, Georgetown is among the 10 IMPACT organizations worldwide dedicated
toward the advancement of women. The HoyasforShe fellowship places students in university programs that promote gender
equality. HoyasForShe Fellows assist with programs, events, research and data collection.
Spring 2020: Natalie Gómez is a senior at Georgetown University majoring in Justice and Peace Studies, with a concentration
in Immigration and Justice, and minoring in Computer Science. She is passionate about social justice, specifically in topics
relating to her own personal experience such as immigration, women's rights and education. The last two years, she served as
Latinx Leadership Forum facilitator, where she, along with representatives of other Latinx organizations on campus, planned
and executed events for the Georgetown community during Latinx Heritage Month.
Fall 2019: Isabella Martinez-Aleman is a sophomore at Georgetown University majoring in Culture and Politics and
double minoring in French and Film and Media Studies. Her passions include women's rights, issues of sustainability, and
documentary film. She is the Vice President of External Affairs for Interhall, a residence hall organization which works to
improve student life and the D.C. community through philanthropy, and the latin dance team on campus, Ritmo y Sabor.
2018-2019: Allie Frei is a senior at Georgetown University majoring in Justice and Peace Studies and double minoring in
Psychology and Education, Inquiry, and Justice. Her interests include mental health, the intersectionality of gender and ability,
women and education, and women in peacebuilding and peacekeeping. She is a member of Best Buddies Georgetown, which
creates spaces for friendships to develop between students and people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Gender+ Justice Fellows
Spring 2020: Nazeleh Jamshidi is a student majoring in Justice and Peace at Georgetown College. Nazeleh is a gender
equality and human/women’s rights activist. She has extensive experience in designing, creating, and managing projects and
programs that promote gender equality, women empowerment and human rights in developing and post-war country,
Afghanistan. She has assisted various governmental and International organizations such as municipalities, the Department of
Agriculture, the Afghan Red Crescent Society, the UN, and USAID to include gender perspectives as part of policies, strategies,
and Afghanistan-based foundational documents. Nazeleh is committed to human rights and women’s rights and she has
helped a considerable number of women in various provinces of Afghanistan to recognize and claim their rights as humans
and members of their communities.
2018-2019: Elana Orbuch is in her first year at Georgetown University Law Center. She is a Student Fellow for G + JI, Public
Interest Fellow, Human Rights Associate, and Section Representative for Georgetown Law Students for Democratic Reform
(GLSDR). Prior to coming to Law School, Elana has done organizing for issue and electoral campaigns, and worked on building
power to pass election law reform in the states. Elena is a Gender + Justice Initiative fellow and supports programs, events,
research and website updates.
2018-2019: Rachel Farkas is in her second year at Georgetown University Law Center. She is a Student Fellow for G + JI,
Editor-in-Chief of the Georgetown Journal of Gender and the Law, President of the Georgetown Law American Civil Liberties
Union (ACLU), and member of the Appellate Advocacy Division of Barristers' Council. She has spent summers and semesters
at the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia, and Orleans Public
Defenders. Rachel plans to work as a public defender upon graduating in May 2020. Rachel assists G + JI’s work with research,
writing, and data collection.
31

Sponsored Student Events
G + JI is deeply committed to support Georgetown students. In the past year, in partnership with student
organizations, G + JI co-sponsored panel discussions, workshops, and professional skills development,
surrounding equity and inclusion. These events gathered dozens of students and faculty members.
Sponsors:
Sponsors:
G + JI's Feminist Mixers
The G+JI’s Feminist Mixers bring together feminists
from the Georgetown University Community to
encourage community building and networking
between people committed to gender justice and
advocacy. They also aim to insight conversations about
gender in our society and build relationships that can
further the promotion of gender equity and justice in
Georgetown’s policies and culture.
These events are well attended by students, staff,
and faculty and have become increasingly popular
(175 RSVP for last mixer).
32

International Engagement
In the Spring 2019, the Gender + Justice Initiative had the opportunity to host two international
delegations and gather various Georgetown centers and organizations to discuss and exchange
on questions connected to gender + justice issues.
February 2019
Conversations about Equity and Justice in STEM
Delegation from Nagoya University Japan
Georgetown and Nagoya University are 2 of 10 global university
champions from around the world selected for the United Nations
HeForShe program working to promote gender equity across
various sectors. For Nagoya’s second visit to our campus, G+JI
hosted conversations about gender equity and justice in STEM
and presented the various Georgetown initiatives advancing such
mission with the collaboration of the Georgetown Women in
Medicine (GWIM), Office of Diversity & Inclusion - Georgetown
School of Medicine (ODI - GUSOM), Institutional Diversity &
Affirmative Action (IDEAA), Georgetown Women's Alliance (GWA),
Women in Science & Education (WISE), and Georgetown Law
Center Visiting Scholar from Ritsumeikan University, Japan.
April 2019
Conversations about Religion, Peace and Women’s
Empowerment Delegation from Algeria
G+JI received a delegation of scholars and community leaders
from Algeria while on a visit to Washington, D.C., in partnership with
the UCLA Burkle Center for International Relations. We discussed
and exchanged on questions of religious freedom, women in peace
and security, interfaith dialogue, islamophobia, and women’s
empowerment. With the participation of the Georgetown University
Muslim Chaplain, Center for Contemporary Arab Studies (CCAS),
Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs, Georgetown
Institute for Women, Peace and Security (GIWPS), and Prince Alwaleed
bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding (ACMCU).
33

COLLOQ
Georgetown Women
Legal Alliance
Advocates Against
Sexual Violence
Journal of Legal Education,
Georgetown University
Law Center
Co-hosted Symposium
Co-sponsored Conversation
and Book Talk with
AuthorCo-sponsored
Panel Discussion
Co-sponsored Dialogue
– Timely Response
Co-sponsored Panel Discussion
Co-sponsored
Panel Discussion
Co-hosted Conversations
with International Delegation
Annual G + JI Sponsored
Panel Discussion
Co-sponsored
Conference
Co-sponsored
Film Screening
and Discussion
MAIN CA
Co-sponsored Lecture
Co-sponsored Workshops
Co-hosted Conversations with
International Delegation
Co-sponsored Pre and
Post performance conversations
Co-h
Inte
Co-s
34

Co-hosted Conversations with
International Delegation
Co-sponsored Lecture
Co-sponsored Workshops
Co-sponsored
Panel Discussion
UIUM
Co-hosted Conversations with
International Delegation
Co-sponsored Lecture
Co-hosted Conversations with
International Delegation
Co-sponsored
Symposium
Co-sponsored Forum
Co-hosted Conversations
with International Delegation
Co-sponsored GWIM’s 25th Anniversary
Post-screening
Panel Discussion
MPUS
Co-sponsored
Poetry Reading
Co-sponsored
Book Talk
Co-hosted Book Talks
Co-hosted Conversations
with International Delegation
Co-sponsored
Panel Discussion
Research
Collaboration
Co-hosted Conversations with
International Delegation
Co-sponsored Symposium
osted Conversations with
rnational Delegation
ponsored Lecture
EXTERNAL PARTNERS
35

Team
Dionne S. Coker-Appiah, Ph.D
G + JI Faculty Co-Director, Fall 2019
Associate Professor of Psychiatry
Georgetown University Medical Center
Denise Brennan, Ph.D
G + JI Faculty Co-Director, Fall 2019
Chair and Professor, Department
of Anthropology
Georgetown College
Melyssa Haffaf, Ph.D
G + JI Program Director
Georgetown University
Steering Committee
Deborah Epstein, JD
Member of Steering Committee
(Served 2017-2019)
Former G + JI Faculty Co-Director
Professor of Law
Georgetown University Law Center
Lisa Krim, JD
Member of Steering Committee
(Served 2017-present)
Chair of G + JI Advisory Board
Senior Advisor to the President for Faculty Relations
Georgetown University Office of the President
Kristi Graves, Ph.D
Member of Steering Committee
(Served 2017-present)
Former G + JI Faculty Co-Director
Associate Professor of Oncology
Georgetown University Medical Center
Naomi Mezey, JD
Member of Steering Committee
(Served 2017-present)
Former G + JI Faculty Co-Director
Professor of Law
Georgetown University Law Center
Nan Hunter, JD
Member of Steering Committee
(Served 2017-2019)
Professor of Law
Georgetown University Law Center
Kathryn Sandberg, Ph.D
Member of Steering Committee
(Served 2017-2018)
Professor and Vice Chair for Research, Department of Medicine
Georgetown University Medical Center
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Advisory Board
Lama Abu-Odeh
Professor of Law
Georgetown University Law Center
Rogaia Abusharaf
Professor of Anthropology
School of Foreign Service Qatar
Fida Adely
Chair in Arab Studies and
Associate Professor
Walsh School of Foreign Service
Reena Aggarwal
Vice Provost for Faculty
and Professor of Business
Administration and Finance
McDonough School of Business
Patricia Cloonan
Associate Professor of School
of Nursing & Health Studies
School of Nursing & Health Studies
Emma Coleman Jordan
Professor of Law
Georgetown University Law Center
Katharine Donato
Donald G. Herzberg Chair &
Professor in International
Migration, Director of the Institute
for the Study of International Migration
Walsh School of Foreign Service
Mary Ann Dutton
Vice-Chair for Research and
Professor in the Department
of Psychiatry
Georgetown University Medical Center
Bette Jacobs
Distinguished Scholar at the
O’Neill Institute for National
and Global Health Law and
Professor of Health Systems
Administration
Georgetown University Law Center
Victoria Jennings
Director of Institute for Reproductive Health
and Professor in the Department of Obstetrics
and Gynecology
Georgetown University Medical Center
Rosemary Kilkenny
Vice President of Diversity, Equity,
Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer
Georgetown University
Patricia King
Carmack Waterhouse Professor
of Law, Medicine, Ethics,
and Public Policy
Georgetown University Law Center
Jennifer Klugman
Managing Director of the Georgetown
Institute for Women Peace and Security
Georgetown University
Shiloh Krupar
Provost's Distinguished Associate
Professor and Field Chair of Culture
and Politics Program
Georgetown University Walsh School
of Foreign Service
Rebecca Kukla
Research Scholar for the Kennedy
Institute of Ethics and Professor in
the Department of Philosophy
Georgetown College
Maggie Little
Director of Ethics Labs, Senior Research
Scholar for the Kennedy Institute of Ethics,
and Professor of Philosophy
Georgetown College
Phyllis Magrab
Director of Center for Child and Human
Development and Professor in the
Department of Pediatrics
Georgetown University Medical Center
Janet Mann
Professor of Biology and Psychology
Georgetown College
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Jane McAuliffe
Distinguished Senior Research Fellow
at Berkley Center for Religion, Peace,
and World Affairs
Georgetown University
Joseph McCartin
Executive Director of Kalmanovitz
Initiative for Labor and the Working
Poor and Professor in the Department
of History
Georgetown College
Sherally Munshi
Associate Professor of Law
Georgetown University Law Center
Victoria Nourse
Ralph V. Whitworth Professor of Law
Georgetown University Law Center
Natsu Onoda Power
Associate Professor in the
Department of Performing Arts
Georgetown College
Ricardo Ortiz
Chair and Associate Professor in
the Department of English
Georgetown College
Kelly Otter
Dean of School of Continuing Studies
School of Continuing Studies
Susan Deller Ross
Director of International Women's
Human Rights Clinic, Professor of Law
Georgetown University Law Center
Nancy Sherman
Faculty Affiliate for the Kennedy
Institute of Ethics and Professor in
the Deparment of Philosophy
Georgetown College
Elena Silva
Vice Dean of Georgetown College and
Professor in the Department of Biology
Georgetown College
Lahra Smith
Associate Professor of African Studies
Walsh School of Foreign Service
Edward Soule
Associate Professor
McDonough School of Business
Madhavi Sunder
Professor of Law
Georgetown University Law Center
Michele Swers
Professor of American Government
Georgetown College
Deborah Tannen
Professor in the Department
of Linguistics
Georgetown College
Catherine Tinsley
Executive Director of Women's Leadership
Institute and Professor of Management
McDonough School of Business
Robin West
Frederick J. Haas Professor
of Law and Philosophy
Georgetown University Law Center
Wendy Williams
Professor Emerita
Georgetown University Law Center
Lane Windham
Associate Director of Kalmanovitz
Initiative for Labor and the Working Poor
Georgetown University
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