Applying Feminist Methodologies to Research in Education, Gender, and Sustainable Development: A Talk by Dr. Priya Singh

On September 21, 2024, the Department of Political Science at Loreto College, Kolkata organised a talk titled Applying Feminist Methodologies to Research in Education, Gender, and Sustainable Development. The talk served as a precursor to a research project focusing on Women’s Colleges in India as Catalysts for Sustainable Development and Gender Equity, jointly being conducted by Loreto College and Asia in Global Affairs. The event brought together students and faculty from Jyoti Nivas College, Bengaluru; Nirmala College, Ranchi; and Patna Women’s College to explore the vital intersections of feminist research, education, and sustainability.

The speaker for the event was Dr. Priya Singh, Associate Director at Asia in Global Affairs, who is currently pursuing Postdoctoral Research at the Centre on Gender and Forced Displacement, Asian Institute of Technology, Bangkok. Dr. Singh’s talk highlighted how feminist research goes beyond traditional methods by focusing on marginalised voices, challenging normative assumptions, and placing gender at the centre of analysis. In the context of education, she discussed how feminist perspectives can help us rethink institutional structures, curricula, and policies that affect gender relations, particularly in the Global South. She also tied this approach to sustainable development, pointing out that feminist methodologies are essential in examining the intersections of gender, environmental sustainability, and social justice.