‘I want to create a conversation that is inherently non-oppressive’
“African women have been at the centre of every movement for social progress, justice and decolonization both on the continent and in the diaspora,” Jasor explains. “African women are highly engaged, vocal and central to every kinds of institution.”
Jasor is mindful of the history of North-South partnerships. “As a post-colonial scholar and a Black woman from the Global South, I’m highly aware of these kinds of historical power relations. We ask the question: How do we know what we know about gender justice?” she says.
“It’s not about, ‘They come here and teach us things we don’t know.’ It’s about exchange. A project like this allows us all to actually set foot on the ground and gain a deeper understanding of various contexts. So, I really want this project to question the dominant global discourses and create a conversation that is inherently non-oppressive.”
Putting it into practice
The project, entitled Gender equality and the decolonization of knowledge: transnational collaboration between West Africa and Canada, will comprise 16 researchers — eight from Concordia and eight from West Africa — who will work together over three years.
“Discussions will be about global gender discourses and the advancement of transnational feminist practices, of course,” says Jasor. “But I’m really keen on promoting South-South conversations as well, not just North-South conversations.”
Activities will include conferences, workshops, joint publications and partnerships with various women’s organizations, from both Canada and West Africa, such as the Table des Groupes de Femmes de Montréal.
The Queen Elizabeth Scholars program was founded in 2014 as a collaboration between the Rideau Hall Foundation and Universities Canada, with funding from the International Development Research Centre.
In total, QES has awarded 2,000 scholarships and funded 89 projects at 44 Canadian universities.
Find out more about Concordia International and Concordia’s Department of Sociology and Anthropology.