Qualitative survey team dedicated to learning more about gender and microfinance
San Cristobal de las Casas
Chiapas, Mexico
In the fall, Herschel Smith Fellowship in literature Cambridge, England
I doubled in English and Women´s and Gender Studies. I also earned a concentration in Africana Studies. For me, all three go together because I am interested in the language used to represent race and gender. When working on producing a qualitative survey about gender and microloans, those skills have come in quite handy. Though both Harvard University and Grameen Trust Chiapas were interested in finding out more about gender roles in the households of the borrowers, the format of the survey was unlikely to yield accurate results because of its insensitivity toward conflict in the household. My gender studies background….has therefore made me an integral part of the survey team. I´ve been able to work on phrasing, and structure to make the women we survey feel more comfortable and supported throughout the process. My work with the Rape and Sexual Assualt Network has also made it possible for me to prepare the rest of the survey team for cases of sexual violence, and domestic violence in the homes of the borrowers. I have yet to find out how my Women’s and Gender Studies major will influence my time at Cambridge. Whether I end up using gender studies in my study of literature or not, I’m still sure that Women’s and Gender Studies is influencing my career path in both subtle and overt ways all the time.