Women, Gender, Feminism: Status, Scholarship, and Advocacy

In this chapter, we look at the trajectory of women, gender, and feminist issues within IAMCR since its birth in 1957. The first section traces the history of women as actors in the association from its earliest days until the election of the first female president in 2004. Next, we consider the research themes that have been the focus of work within the Gender and Communication Section, analysing how these themes have reflected a broadening of conceptual approaches in the field over time. In the third section, we examine the engagement of women and feminist scholars in IAMCR with gender and communication issues within global policy debates, showing how knowledge and scholarship have been used to advocate for change. A short final section sums up the chapter’s main themes and the challenges facing the association in this area.