Women Interest group Report

Chair: Darja Zavirsek
Co-chair: Fran Waugh

Carolyne Noble, Helle Strauss, Nilsa
Burgos , Janet Walker , Davis McNabb

Dear colleagues,The WIG mainly focused on three issues:
1.) the preparation of the Women’s Stream of the Dublin conference 2018; we provided
the reviewers for over 300 abstracts; the WIG served as reviewers and a lot ofcommunication took place during the final selection of the papers;
2.) WIG applied with a double workshop on women from the IASSW reflection on theleadership issues: “WOMEN GLOBAL LEADERSHIP: WOMEN IN THE IASSW
REFLECTING ON THEIR LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCES. A CRITICAL WOMEN’SPERSPECTIVE FROM WITHIN” (Minerva Room, Friday 6th July from 9.15- 11.15am);
The symposium is meant to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Women’s Cocos in
the IASSW.
Abstract:
Social work is historically a women’s profession, but not necessarily also a profession inwhich gender power relations are reflected, or the struggle for gender justice imbedded in;
nor is it a profession of universally strong women leadership in social welfare services andthe social work academia. What then are the experiences of women leaders within theinternational social work organization and how they narrate them? Do they, much like thewomen in male-dominated professions, experience phenomena known as the “glass ceiling”,“sticky floor” and “leaky pipeline”? Are they supported by other women, and if so, in whatways? What are the personal characteristics of women who are global leaders, and how dowomen themselves reflect on the process of becoming leaders? Do they remember thestruggles of the IASSW to recognize gender power imbalance, and theinequalities experienced by women? How did women take active stand against theseprocesses? How did the IASSW incorporate critical awareness on gender injustices in theorganization, and who were the pioneers of the women’s perspective and the Women’s
Cocos established thirty years ago? What where the issues they worked on in their social
work careers as women leaders and what they achieved; what were the obstacles theyexperienced and what the support strategies? What is the present situation of the feministsocial work within the international social work and what are the future struggles? Thesymposium will bring together the leading figures of the international social work arena
who actively partook in the IASSW either as presidents or leaders of committees, task
groups, project activities and think thanks, and will provide the space for them to reflect
upon their experiences in a historically based, contextual manner from a social work
perspective, and will provide space for the participants engage in discussion.
Speakers: Lena Dominelli, Carolyne Noble, Julia M. Watkins, Vimla Nadkarni,Lynne Healy,Angie Yuan, Vishanthie Sewpaul; Annamaria Campanini. Moderator and chair: Darja Zaviršek
13.) Disemination of the findings of the IASSW Questionaires on women’s issues aroundthe globe; Fran and Darja analysed 53 questionnaires on women’s issues which we
received from academics and schools of social work who are IASSW members. We
combined with Rossitsa Simeonova, Elona Dhembo*,and Erika Bejko to submit an abstractthwhich was accepted. They will be providing a symposium on Friday 6 July, 12.00,Minerva, Women 8.
Abstract :Women from postsocialism reflect upon women’s issues in leadership, academia andsocial work practice.
This symposium focuses on women issues in leadership, academia and social work practiceby discussing both international and national cases based on the critical social theories, andfeminist social work perspectives. The panel includes 3 presentations reflecting on findings
from a recent international research and two national cases (Albania and Bulgaria). Theinternational case will give an analytic overview about the current pressing gender issues
defined by social work educators and will define the areas which are seen as most importantfrom social work and women’s human rights perspective. Since 2016 the Women’s Interest
Group of the IASSW commenced an-on going survey based on an open ended questionnaire,among the IASSW members. The case of Albania depicts on the role women in Albania havebeen playing in academia. Several issues concerning the difficulties Albanian women arefacing in regards to career opportunities and promotion in academia and recommendations on
how these could be addressed in the future are discussed. The case of Bulgaria discusses
gender and leadership issues related to current situation and tendencies in academia and social
work education and outlines perspectives for further developments. The audience is invited toreflect and discuss on the presented cases by sharing other national and international practices
and perspectives.

Fran and Darja presentation on the IASSW questionaires analysis:
Abstract:
WOMEN SOCIAL WORK EDUCATORS REFLECTING ON GENDER ISSUES IN TEACHING,RESEARCH AND SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE: A COMPARATIVE GLOBAL OVERVIEW
Since 2016 the Women’s Interest Group of the IASSW commenced an-on going survey basedon an open ended questionnaire, among the IASSW members. The survey asked therespondents to:a.) review the current pressing issues facing social work educators intheir countries and world regions; b.) describe their personal interest in the area of genderissues; c.) provide an overview of the topics which they address in the curriculum in thecourses they teach in their social work programmes; and d.) identify emerging women’shuman rights issues which will need to be addressed in the near future. The survey wasinitiated on the ground that there continues to be an uneven attainment and at times
exploitation of women’s rights across the world and therefore gender and women’s
perspectives need to be universally included in social work curricula. So far the researchers
received 40 responses across different world regions; all of the respondents were women.
Since the research is still in the process, we expect more respondents to answer thequestionnaire by spring 2018 and will be included in the survey analysis. The presentation
will give an analytic overview about the current pressing gender issues defined by social2

work educators and will define the areas which are seen as most important from social work
and women’s human rights perspective. The analysis is based on the critical social theories,
and feminist social work perspectives.
-Fran and Darja made an e-mail list of all persons who replied to the questionnaires andexpressed the wish to get involved; the meeting will be held after the symposium on the 6thJune lunch time.
Sincerely,
Darja Zaviršek (chair); Fran Waugh (co-chair)June 26, 20183