2021

This year, on the 18^th of December, we are initiation the blog series «Biographical contributions to research work in gender studies in Switzerland». In this series, retired or emeritus researchers* on gender and interdisciplinary researcher, with a focus on gender, as well as gender equality experts* will report on their decades of experience in the research and working field. It’s time for a look back in the past – because today's scientific activities, which will be reported on this blog series, are only possible thanks to the persistent commitment of many pioneers*.

In recent years, some of these renowned researchers* have gone into well-deserved retirement. The same for the generation that raised and shaped gender equality work at universities. In particular, with their works and research, they have been taken part on the process of institutionalization of the research field in Switzerland. Especially in the 1990s, many things happen: From the founding of the Swiss Society for Gender Studies in 1997 to the first professorship for gender studies in Basel, in 2001. In the administrations of the universities, there was also an increase in the establishment of gender equality offices. The series on our blog is therefore interested in the « biographical contributions to research work» of these academics*. In their own contributions or in short interviews, they reflect on their life paths, their research results and the issues that have preoccupied them. They talk about challenges and successes, and the changes in the scientific world around them, and perhaps also through themselves.

We plan to continue with this series after the holidays ­ the professional biographies of some of the leading figures in gender studies will follow you as well into 2022. We look forward to bringing you new reading material and hoping that that will be interesting and inspiring for you. As always, you can actively share the content ­– with the hashtag #4genderstudies, of course.