FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Guest Speaker to Lecture on Gender Analysis of the U.N. Security Council
Media contact:
Gwen O’Brien
Director of Media Relations
Saint Mary's College
Notre Dame, IN 46556
(574) 284-4579
March 24, 2011 (Notre Dame, Ind.)— As part of the celebration of Women’s History Month and 100 years of International Women’s Day, Saint Mary's College invites the public to a talk by Soumita Basu, an Andrew Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow at Kenyon College, on the challenges and possibilities of gendering the United Nations Security Council. The lecture will take place on Monday, March 28, at 4 p.m. in Stapleton Lounge, Le Mans Hall. The talk is being co-sponsored by the Women’s Studies Program, the Center for Women’s Intercultural Leadership (CWIL), the Justice Education Program, the Intercultural Studies Program, the Department of Political Science and the Department of Sociology.
The Security Council began its explicit engagement with gender with the adoption of U.N Resolution 1325 on women and peace and security more than 10 years ago. The talk is part of Basu’s book project on feminist critique of the United Nations Security Council and is based on Basu’s doctoral research in Britain, and postdoctoral work at the University of Southern California and Kenyon College.
"We are very fortunate and pleased to be hosting Dr. Basu. Dr. Basu's talk offers an exciting opportunity to learn about the important role that the United Nations plays in gender and global governance, particularly as we celebrate Women's History Month and 100 Years of International Women's Day," said Jennifer Zachman, coordinator of the Women’s Studies program at Saint Mary's College.
Basu received her Ph.D. in International Politics from the University of Wales, Aberystwyth, in 2009. Prior to joining the Kenyon community, Basu was a Hayward R. Alker Postdoctoral Fellow at the Center for International Studies, University of Southern California. Basu has worked with Women in Security, Conflict Management and Peace (New Delhi) and Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (New York). She has published on gender, security and the United Nations. For more information on the event, go to the CWIL website.
About Saint Mary’s College: Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Ind., is a four-year, Catholic, women’s institution offering five bachelor’s degrees and more than 30 major areas of study. Saint Mary’s College has six nationally accredited academic programs: social work, art, music, teacher education, chemistry and nursing. Saint Mary’s College ranks among the top 100 “Best National Liberal Arts Colleges” in the U.S. News & World Report 2011 College Guide. Founded in 1844, Saint Mary’s is a pioneer in the education of women, and is sponsored by the Sisters of the Holy Cross.