The Broader Story of Progress with Dr. Naila Kabeer | Hopper Lecture 2023

In the 2022/23 Hopper Lecture, Dr. Naila Kabeer will examine the ways that women from marginalized groups in India, Bangladesh and Afghanistan pursue collective action. Recorded March 22, 2023 at the University of Guelph.

The Hopper Lecture is an annual event that is possible through the generous sponsorship of the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) in honour of its first president, David Hopper. It has taken place annually at the University of Guelph and universities across Canada since 1993.

Dr. Naila Kabeer is Professor of Gender and International Development at the Department of International Development at London School of Economics, UK. Throughout her career, she has engaged in research, teaching and advisory work on issues related to gender, poverty, livelihoods, social protection and collective action. Publications relevant to her Hopper Lecture include ‘Organizing women in the informal economy: Beyond the weapons of the weak’ (Zed Press), ‘Empowerment, citizenship and gender justice: a contribution to locally-grounded theories of change’ (Ethics and Social Welfare), ‘Between affiliation and autonomy: navigating pathways of women’s empowerment and gender justice in Bangladesh’ (Development and Change) and ‘Group rights and gender justice: exploring tensions within the Gond community in India’ (International Institute of Inequalities, LSE).

"While challenging the legal and policy architectures that perpetuate gender discrimination in societies is a critical dimension in processes of social transformation, my interest has been in how changes occur on the ground through collective action by women and their allies, and particularly by women from marginalized groups. How do laws and policies impact on their ability to organize collectively and what resources do they draw on to challenges, laws, and policies – as well as the norms and practices of their own communities? I want to draw on my research in the South Asian context to offer some reflections on these questions."