Societies in Transition - Challenges to Women’s and Gender Studies

Heike Fleßner, Ph.D., professor of Social Pedagogy at Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg/ Germany and teaches Social Pedagogy and Women's Gender Studies; Lydia Potts, Ph.D, teaches Political Science, Intercultural Education and Women's and Gender Studies at Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg/ Germany.

Currently, women' sand gen der studies programs exist in many countries around the world. It is a crucial task for the future of this still emerging disci pline to enhance international communication and cooperation between study programs, students, scholars, activists, and professionals. If we consider the ideals and concepts of "emancipation" and "participation" as core principles of women' sand gen der studies, then our global networking requires system atic inclusion of non-western perspectives at all levels of research, teaching, and curriculum development. The international conference "Societies in Transition - Challenges to Women's and Gender Studies," held at Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Germany, from June 28 through July 1,2001, was intended as a step in this direction, bringing together speakers - all represented in this book - from a variety of countries: Poland and Hungary, Great Britain and New Zealand, India and Nepal, South Africa, Jordan, Turkey and Yemen. Although this list might at first appear arbitrary, its composition was both carefully and intentionally constructed. As organizers, we knew that a com paratively sm all conference could not entertain a fully inclusive representa tion of women's and gender studies programs worldwide.

The book presents inside perspectives of women's and gender studies programs from a great variety of countries. It analyses how societal transitions influence the emergence and further development of such programs and by doing this reflects the contradictory changes of women's status and roles worldwide.

I. Focus: Global Perspectives.- Co-option or Transformation? Women's and Gender Studies Worldwide.- From Feminist Studies to Gender Studies: Challenges to Gender Studies at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand.- II. Focus: Europe (I) - Germany.- Women's and Gender Studies in German Higher Education.- Women's and Gender Studies in Germany - Strategies for Internationalization.- III. Focus: Europe (II) - Eastern Europe.- Women's and Gender Studies in a Global-Local Perspective: Developing the Frame.- Gender Studies in Warsaw.- IV. Focus: Europe (III) - European Union and Nongovernmental Organizations.- Gender and Power - The European Union as a Masculine Project of Supranational Government.- Strategies and Demands of Women's NGOs from Central and Eastern Europe in the Beijing +5 and the European Union Enlargement Process.- V. Focus: Middle East - Yemen, Jordan and Turkey.- The Transition in the Situation of Women in Yemen.- New Perspectives and Challenges for Women's Studies at Aden University, Yemen.- Women's Status in Jordan - Progress and Setbacks.- The Women's Studies Program at the University of Jordan: Current Status and Prospects for the Future.- Turkish Women's Studies: The METU Gender and Women's Studies Graduate Program Experience.- VI. Focus: India and Nepal.- Gender Issues in Haryana and at CCS Haryana Agricultural University, India.- Women's Studies at Padmakanya Multiple Campus Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal.- Strategies of Women's Empowerment: Women's Micro Enterprises in Nepal.- VII. Focus: Republic of South Africa.- The Dilemmas of Gender Mainstreaming for Gender Studies in South Africa.- Does the Policy and Legislative Framework Address the Impact of HIV/AIDS on Women at Work and Girl Learners atPublic Schools in South Africa?.- VIII. Conclusions.- Which Equalities Matter? Or Even: Does Equality Matter?.- Contributors.