Organised by postgraduates in the School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, the Women in Conservation Canterbury Network, and WildHub
Organised by postgraduates in the School of Anthropology and Conservation (SAC), University of Kent, the Women in Conservation Canterbury Network (WCCN), and WildHub. Please use this form to register for the event.
The events of this past year leave us facing new research challenges amidst heightened concerns around race, gender, and personal safety. At this time the need for support is greater than ever, and we want to ensure that as researchers we have access to the networks and resources that can keep us safe during fieldwork.
The first Truth Be Told workshop last year called for open and honest conversations about Encounters in the Field and the challenges we face during research away from the workplace. At that workshop we invited people to share their fieldwork stories. We were overwhelmed by the risks researchers and practitioners faced, in particular those that concerned sexual harassment, gender, mental health and trauma.
This year, when support is even more vital, we have invited a panel of speakers to offer advice, resources and networks that researchers and professionals can reach out to. The event also aims to inform researchers of the work being done to confront the challenges mentioned above.
Jerika Loren Heinze, Fieldwork Initiative
Jerika is the founder of FI, a support network for those facing trauma, unsafe conditions, or sexual harassment and assault during research fieldwork. FI offers resources and training seminars that shed light on the realities of trauma, racism, and gendered violence in the field.
Laura Thurman, Gendered Safety in Fieldwork
Laura is an anthropologist researching gendered security practices and violence in ethnographic fieldwork.
Jennifer Palmer – Women For Wildlife
Jennifer is the founder of Women for Wildlife, an international movement to support, empower and unite women in conservation. Read Jennifer’s lessons learned on Women For Wildlife on WildHub.
Trang Nguyen – WildAct Vietnam and Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE) alumna
Trang is the founder of WildAct Vietnam, a local conservation not-for profit organisation based in Vietnam that aims to conserve threatened species and ecosystems and builds capacity for conservation. In 2019, WildAct started their Empowering Women in Conservation Program with the aim to make the conservation working environment in Vietnam more inclusive, safer and better-equipped to tackle the challenges the country faces. Trang was named a BBC woman of the year 2019, and hopes that through this nomination, she can help raise awareness around gender-based violence in wildlife conservation. Read Trang’s program findings thus far on WildHub.
After hearing briefly from panellists, the floor will be opened up for attendees to ask questions and join us in discussion. We will also be sharing a digital resource pack, a ‘safety box’ with links to multimedia resources about the issues raised. We encourage attendees to add to this. This event is not only for women. We invite everyone to come, listen and share support. Due to the sensitive and personal information shared, the event will not be recorded.
Best wishes, stay safe and hope to see you there,
SAC postgrads, Women in Conservation Canterbury Network, and the WildHub community.
3.00 – 4.30pm (BST) 1 April 2021
Please note the time is now BST (British Summer Time)
Registration link: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJcodOyupzsuHtNNFamPsPdpJpAAkVVXxzVg