Aiming to assess recent theoretical positions as well empirical findings, a main goal is to address how poverty as well as social transformation is "gendered" and in different ways

Connected with global and local processes. Poverty and social transformation will be explored through empirical studies of localities, geographical regions, and organisations. Research on ways out of poverty will also be presented. Special attention will be given to how these local-global and micro-macro dynamics point towards methodological challenges in gendered poverty and Development research. Special attention will be put on the differences between consultancy methods and knowledge production and producing knowledge for PhD dissertations.

The Centre for Women and Gender Research (KVINNFORSK) welcomes all interested researchers and students to a combined research symposium and PhD course on issues related to gender, poverty and social transformation / development.

In current theoretical positions, much reference has been made to central policy documents. For example, the UNDP Development report, UN resolution 1325 etc. We furthermore observe how IMF and the World Bank with their "mainstreamed gender profile" are central references in research. On the one hand it is important to scrutinize effects of these proposed gendered and non-gendered measures. On the other hand, we want to look more closely at how gendered rhetoric play an important role both in the selection of themes and in designing research projects, but also on how these concepts actually are utilized in rather pragmatic ways.

Lecturers, researchers and PhD-students at the symposium in Tromsø will come from different disciplines and do research in different geographical contexts.

4 days programme, included 22 hours of lectures in addition to discussions and group sessions.

The PhD Course participants are required to send in the paper approximately a month before the symposium. At the symposium/PhD Course they present the paper before the symposium audience. Special comments will be prepared by the main evaluators. Also, other participants are welcome to comment on and discuss the issues raised.