Graduation from International Gender Studies 2020

The GEST programme celebrated the graduation of 20 fellows last Friday. This was the first cohort to graduate from GRÓ GEST, now that the GEST programme under the auspices of UNESCO. The fellows were awarded a postgraduate diploma in International Gender Studies from the University of Iceland. The twenty fellows graduated, representing Uganda, Malawi, Mozambique, Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Palestine, Afghanistan and for the first time Sri Lanka, Russia (Arctic), and Cameroon. The graduation ceremony took place at the University of Iceland and was attended by Ms. Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, former president of Iceland and the patron of the programme; Mr. Guðlaugur Þór Þórðarson, Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Development Cooperation; Dr. Jón Atli Benediktsson, Rector of the University of Iceland; Guðmundur Hálfdanarson, Dean of the School of Humanities, as well as GEST fellows, supervisors, staff, and other guests.

The GEST programme during Covid-19

The 20 newly graduated fellows now join the other 132 GEST alumni in the GEST alumni network, bringing the total number of alumni to 152 and the network’s reach to 25 countries worldwide. This semester has been an unusual semester for the GEST programme. It started off like any other semester, where the GEST team welcomed the 2020 cohort during the darkest days of winter in January. After two months of adjusting to a very different environment, the fellows had to prove their resilience and determination once again, as the University of Iceland closed mid-March due to the Covid-19 restrictions. Throughout this period, the fellows continued their studies using online platforms, and as the University of Iceland reopened at the beginning of May, the fellows had all managed to keep on track, completing their final assignments on schedule. At the ceremony, the Minister of Foreign Affairs recognized the fellows’ impressive strength as he addressed the fellows: “Not only have you been presented with a demanding educational environment, you have also shown great resilience and strength – your graduation here today is proof of that”.

The Rector of the University of Iceland, congratulated the fellows on their achievement, and encouraged them to “embrace the challenges and get ahead of the change”. Fellow and 2020 graduate Allen Asiimwe addressed the guests at the graduation and shared her reflections on the programme. She highlighted the positives and the challenges as she said: “The time here has provided us with an opportunity to reflect, rethink and question ourselves on who we are and what we stand for”. She emphasised that this end is a new beginning as the group of fellows return to their home countries, stronger and more determined to make a change within their communities.

The Vigdís Finnbogadóttir Award

The 2020 GEST fellows and the ceremony’s guests were honoured by the attendance of Ms. Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, former president and patron of the programme, in whose name an award, the Vigdís Finnbogadóttir award is presented for the best final assignment. Despite the challenging semester, never before have as many final assignments received an honorary mention as 11 of 20 assignments received a first-class grade with distinction. 
This year, for the first time and henceforward, the award is presented in two distinct categories. The first category is for applied projects or project documents, in which the fellow addresses and provides practical recommendations for an issue in relation to gender equality in their home country. The second category is for essays or research proposals, which aim at contributing to the existing academic literature on a particular topic relating to gender equality or outlining a proposal for a future PhD project.

Two final assignments truly stood out. In the category of applied project and project documents, Brenda Apeta, of Uganda, succeeded in formulating a commendable practical project that centres on the promotion of gender responsive pedagogy in primary education. Her assignment is titled “Equipping Primary Teachers in Gender Responsive Pedagogy to Strengthen Quality and Equity in Schools at the Imvepi Refugee Camp”. In the category of essays and research proposals, Nadhiya Najab put forward a nuanced analysis of microfinance institutions, and the gendered social and economic implications that result from increasing levels of indebtedness. The findings are broadly analysed within the context of Sri Lanka’s Northern and Eastern Provinces, which were directly impacted by an armed conflict. Her assignment is titled “Spiralling into Poverty, One Debt at a Time”.

Congratulations to the 2020 GEST Cohort!

About the GEST programme

The GEST programme is part of GRÓ - Centre for Capacity Development, Sustainability and Societal Change - which comprises four thematic capacity and development programmes: The Geothermal Training Programme (GTP), the Fisheries Training Programme (FTP), the Land Restoration Training Programme (LRT) and the Gender Equality Studies and Training Programme (GEST). GRÓ operates under the auspices of UNESCO.