WGH Holiday Cider Social (Wed. Dec 12, 2018)
The Women, Gender, and Health concentration had its first ever holiday cider social. We sipped cider and enjoyed sweet treats over light conversation. It was a lovely way to end the year! 10 people attended.
Women Leading Action on Climate Change w/ Gina McCarthy (Mon. Nov 26, 2018)
Gina McCarthy joined us in Kresge 200 to discuss the importance of women’s participation at the leadership level in developing policies and making business decisions on climate change. This event was cosponsored by the Harvard Chan Environmental Justice Student Organization. 30 people attended.
Challenges and opportunities in American Indian/Alaskan Native Health w/ Dennis Norman (Wed. Nov 7, 2018)
Dennis Norman joined us to discuss his work in American Indian/Alaskan Native communities and his course Nation Building II offered this spring. This event was cosponsored by SBS and WGH. 22 people attended.
Post election breakfast (Wed. Nov 7, 2018)
Faculty and students joined us to debrief the 2018 midterm elections, enumerating the wins and losses across the country. The theme for the discussion was “making hope practical”. 22 people attended.
Wins and losses enumerated below:
Transgender health and rights in Massachusetts (Thurs. October 4, 2018)
Sari Reisner (Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health WGH faculty), Mason Dunn (Mass Trans Political Coalition), and Corey Prachniak (MA Commission on LGBTQ Youth) joined us in Kresge G2 to discuss the upcoming transgender ballot initiative (vote yes!) and the history of transgender rights in Massachusetts. Williams Institute study mentioned: https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/research/ma-public-accommodations/. Slides from Sari Reisner’s presentation are available here. Recording available here. About 30 people attended this event.
Following a 2017 symposium at the University of Southern California, the USC Law & Global Health Collaboration has produced several resources to further the discussion of sexual and reproductive health and rights of transgender populations. This toolkit includes an article and two videos intended for use by transgender activists, lawyers, policy-makers, programmers, epidemiologists, economists, social workers, clinicians and all other stakeholders who want to drive the conversation forward through training, research and advocacy.
Public Health Wins in Ireland: Reflections on Same-Sex Marriage and Abortion Rights (Wed. September 26, 2018)
Sean Cahill (Fenway Health) and Irvienne Goldson (Action for Boston Community Development) joined us in Kresge 202A for a reflection on same-sex marriage and abortion rights in Ireland and implications for public health. Sean Cahill presented a brief history of politics and religion in Ireland, as well as Irish communities here in the United States. Irvienne Goldson presented on women’s health and abortion rights. A lively discussion on the lessons the United States can learn from Ireland followed. Recording available here. About 15 people attended this event.
Measuring Violence Against Women Globally: The effects of embedded social theory on quantification (Fri. Sept 14, 2018)
Sally Engle Merry joined us in FXB G-10 for a discussion on the social theories underlying approaches to measuring violence against women. Using the example of a United Nations project to develop indicators for measuring violence against women around the world, this talk will examine the ways in which quantification simplifies, decontextualizes and homogenizes what is counted. Recording available here. About 20 people attended this event.
Fall Social (Wed September 5 5-7pm)
Students, faculty, and staff joined us for drinks and appetizers at the Puddingstone Tavern to celebrate the start of the new school year. About 7 people attended this event.
Incarceration, Genders and Health (Thurs. April 5, 2018)
Panelists Andrea James, Founder of Families for Justice as Healing; Sabra Johnson, Case manager at Whittier Street Health Center’s Women’s Post Prison Services; and Jaclyn White Hughto, Faculty Investigator, Brown University School of Public Health and Fenway Health, joined us in a discussion moderated by Rahsaan Hall (Director of the Racial Justice Program for the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts). The panelists discussed the unique issues trans and cis women face in prisons, prison abolition, and the incarceration system in the United States in general. The panelists and moderator were introduced by Professor Nancy Krieger. About 15 people attended this event.
International Women’s Day Luncheon (Thurs. March 8, 2018)
Faculty, students, and friends joined us for an informal luncheon to celebrate International Women’s Day. Dr. Nancy Krieger opened with a presentation on the history of the day and the event closed with a sing-a-long to “Bread and Roses”. Thanks to all who joined us!
Project UNICXS: Addressing Violence Against Transgender People in Peru (Thurs. March 1, 2018)
Alfonso Silva Santisteban, MD, MPH joined us for a discussion on structural violence toward transgender people in Peru. See the recorded event here.
Dr. Sarah Richardson – The Maternal Imprint (Thurs. February 8, 2018)
The WGH concentration invited Sarah Richardson to join us to discuss her forthcoming book, The Maternal Imprint, on the history of theories of maternal-fetal effects in heredity. Beginning with a brief history of the study of maternal imprinting (that is, the theory that pregnant woman’s health, behavior, and milieu can have intergenerational effects on her descendants), Dr. Richardson went on to discuss current issues in genomics and maternal imprinting. She presented a critical analysis of conceptual and ethical issues provoked by the striking rise of epigenetics and fetal origins science in postgenomic biology. The session took place in Kresge 502.
