Student Groups
The richness of the Fletcher School’s Gender and Intersectional Analysis field is built upon an enduring legacy of impressive student and advocate-led contributions to GAIA-related events and programming – as well as the crucial work of inclusively minded clubs, social justice activists, and dedicated cultural organizations. Convening spaces of engagement open to the entire Fletcher community, these initiatives include:
Active Fletcher Student Groups
The Conference on Gender and International Affairs (CGIA)
YEARS ACTIVE: 2015 – PRESENT
Founded by a trailblazing cohort of feminist students in 2015, the Conference on Gender and International Affairs (CGIA) is widely celebrated as the first student-run event of its kind – a forum directly focused on the intersection of gender and international relations. An annual convening just having celebrated its tenth anniversary, CGIA also serves as the Fletcher School’s longest running student-led conference. Organized by a volunteer Leadership Committee of 6-10 students, CGIA traditionally takes place over two days during the fall semester and convenes hundreds of students, practitioners, advocates, policy makers, and academics from a wide range of international affairs professions yet united in their pursuit of gender equal world. Driven by student interest and pressing challenges around the globe, the conference theme shifts in response to current events, guiding a comprehensive series of keynote presentations, workshops, panels, and networking sessions dedicated to a holistic exploration of gender in international affairs. Due to the dedication of generations of student advocates supported by a host of partners and volunteers, CGIA is consistently recognized as a premiere learning event within the Fletcher community and beyond.
For a detailed overview of conference editions, themes, and sessions, see the below resources:
CATALOG OF CGIA CONVENINGS SINCE INITIATION
TUFTS DAILY FEATURE OF THE INAGURAL CONFERENCE IN 2015
Ecologies of Justice (EcoJ)
YEARS ACTIVE: 2021 – PRESENT
Established in 2021 following funding granted by the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life, the Ecologies of Justice (EcoJ) initiative builds upon the emerging field of Environmental Humanities, which seeks to enhance scholastic understanding of “the human and human agency…in the age of the Anthropocene – the era in which humans have become a geological force with devastating potential.”1 Co-directed by Professor Kimberly Theidon and PhD student Dipali Anumol, EcoJ convenes a regular speaker series focused on the impact of gender and intersectionality on environmental (in)justice, as well as the role of the Environmental Humanities community in advancing civic education and activism moving forward.
For full details, visit the EcoJ webpage.
Fletcher LEADS: Leadership, Equality, and Diversity
YEARS ACTIVE: 2016 – PRESENT
The Fletcher LEADS: Leadership, Equality and Diversity initiative was founded in 2016 following a generous donation from a Fletcher alumna. Initially hosting between 6-8 workshops per year, Fletcher LEADS offered skills-based training designed for women and people of all genders across the Fletcher community. Past workshops have included Equal Pay Negotiation, Running for Political Office, Playing to Our Strengths, Professional Communications, Sexual Identity and Diversity in the Workplace, Active By-Stander Training for Standing Up to Sexual Harassment in the Workplace, and Work-Life Balance. Co-directed by Professor Dyan Mazurana and PhD student Danielle Demers, the Fletcher LEADS initiative currently hosts an annual convening of the highly popular Equal Pay – or Salary Negotiation – workshop, frequently requested by students across fields.
Pride at Fletcher
YEARS ACTIVE: 2018 – PRESENT
Pride at Fletcher is a student organization for those who identify as LGBTQIA+, as well as allies to provide a platform for an inclusive community that embraces allies, hosts events to raise awareness and understanding, and serves as a resource for the Fletcher community. Upon receiving an award in 2019 for Fostering Community in January 2019, club representatives remarked “Pride at Fletcher had been lying dormant…and was renamed and revived [in 2018]. Today, this club has more than 30 members who have organized a National Coming Out Day program, managed a school-wide peer-to-peer LGBTQ support network, and challenged the administration to better communicate its protections for LGBTQ students.”4
The Ralph Bunche Society for Diversity in International Relations
YEARS ACTIVE: 2004 – PRESENT5
Building on the legacy of Ralph Bunche, The Ralph Bunche Society provides a safe space for students to discuss issues of race, class, and culture; it serves as a platform to engage the Fletcher community in considering minority identities and experiences in their careers at Fletcher and beyond. FSCA focuses on three areas of engagement: experience, exposure, and expertise. FSCA seeks opportunities to partner with the Fletcher Alumni of Color Association (FACA) to strengthen its programming and community.
Legacy of Student Groups
The Gender and Equality Project
YEARS ACTIVE: 2009 – 2012
The Fletcher Gender and Equality Project (GEP) was a student-run organization seeking “to improve the student experience, graduate competitiveness, and institutional equality of the Fletcher School.” Founded in the spring of 2009 to address student concerns surrounding “the relative lack of gender-related topics and modes of analysis in Fletcher courses and extracurricular events,” GEP initiatives focused on conducting research-based analyses of Fletcher institutions, offering a variety of skills-based trainings, and convening well-attended community events – from town hall meetings to guest lecturers. The club is responsible for organizing and producing the Gender Audit of Fletcher (formally titled “Exploratory Analysis of Gender at Fletcher”) in 2010 – a significant strategic contribution to the development of the future Gender Analysis in International Studies program in 2015. Led by two primary facilitators and writers, Jenny Marron and Brian Heilman (both MALD 2010), working under advisor Professor Dyan Mazurana, the research for the Gender Audit engaged nearly forty students, including GEP members and students in Professor Karen Jacobsen’s Research Methods course. The Gender and Equality Project later merged with the newly founded Gender Initiative at Fletcher.
The Gender Initiative at Fletcher
YEARS: 2012 – UNKNOWN, PRE-2022
Founded in 2012 by a cohort of student activists led by Roxani Krystalli, the Gender Initiative at Fletcher aimed “to enable the study and professional exploration of gender-related issues.” With wide support from across the Fletcher community, the Initiative’s efforts were driven by three clusters: (1) an Academic Cluster, (2) a Speakers and Events Cluster, and (3) a Mission and Vision Cluster. Academic Cluster activities included compiling a list of gender-related courses eligible for cross-registration in the Boston area, working with Fletcher faculty to showcase gender-integrated syllabi, and providing administrative assistance in self-designing a gender-related field of study. Notably, the Gender Initiative’s Academic Cluster also proved instrumental in the creation of Fletcher’s second GAIA-focused course, Gender and Human Security in Transitional States and Societies in 2014. The Speakers and Events Cluster focused on researching and compiling a diverse list of potential speakers relating to gender or highlighting women in male-dominated fields, ultimately made available Fletcher-wide for clubs seeking to diversify their panel lineups. Finally, the Mission and Vision Cluster was dedicated to club strategic planning initiatives as well as club administration and promotion.
While the Gender Initiative’s final year of active club status is unknown, additional details about its activities can be found here.
Global Women (GW)
YEARS ACTIVE: 2009 – 2015
Known to have been active from at least 2009–2015, Global Women (GW) was a Fletcher student group which sought “to mainstream gender issues and raise awareness regarding the critical role that women play in international affairs.”6 The group’s activities focused on promoting gender-related dialogues through hosting discussions, engaging with campus leaders, organizing professional development workshops, and celebrating International Women’s Day.5 GW also organized a well-attended Phenomenal Women Speakers Series, attracting 15-30 students each meeting, and offered a mentoring program for undergraduate Tufts students studying International Affairs, Peace and Justice Studies, and Women’s Studies.7
Fletcher Women in Business (FWIB)
YEARS ACTIVE: 2019 – 2022
Known to have been active from at least 2019–2022, Fletcher Women in Business sought “to create a space for womxn at Fletcher to connect and empower one another and promote personal and professional development.”8 The student-run organization hosted workshops and collaborated with the Tufts Women in International Relations Club to offer a mentorship program for undergraduate students.
Women in International Security (WIIS)
YEARS: 2010 – UNKNOWN, PRE-2024
Women in International Security (WIIS) is a non-governmental membership organization “dedicated to cultivating an inclusive and intersectional approach to the Women, Peace & Security agenda” and providing professional development for women in fields relating to international peace and security.9 The Fletcher School established a New England Chapter of WIIS prior to 2010, known to have been active in this pursuit through at least 2020. Notably, there was a brief framing adjustment from Fletcher Women in Security to Fletcher Students in Security around 2010 “to be more inclusive…[and] given all FWIS activities were open to the entire Fletcher community”10 though the original name was restored sometime prior to 2018.11