On July 1st and 2nd, researchers working on and interested on how migration and integration are shaped by gender and sexuality met at the 2020 IMISCOE conference. After launching the Standing Committee on Gender and Sexuality in Migration Research (GenSeM) in 2019, we took the opportunity at the IMISCOE 2020 virtual conference to create a space where we could get to know each other better and discuss how the standing committee can best serve its members in the near future. In addition to presenting research at four GenSeM panels, we also held the first GenSeM general meeting and PhD/ECR meeting.
The discussions in the meetings highlighted two points. First, the desire to establish a non-hierarchical, committed, and collaborative space to discuss our research. And second, the need to have a platform that can showcase our research and facilitate networking.
To address the first point, GenSeM will kick-off a series of “Migration Dialogues” in Autumn 2020. We will organize meetings (virtual ones for the time being) to present members’ work done in the field of Migration, Gender and Sexuality. The idea is to create a constructive and committed space where we can e.g. discuss work in progress (papers, chapters, project proposals…); have book symposiums; or discuss specific topics. The Migration Dialogues will also serve to meet the call from our PhD/ECR community for conversations about their research and especially about methods and recruitment issues. These regular meetings will be open to all. More details on this will follow in the coming weeks.
With regards to creating a platform for members’ research, we have created a project profile on ResearchGate where we plan to publicise our activities. Please, do follow us there! Members also expressed the desire to have a channel where GenSeM members could connect with each other and find opportunities for collaborative work. After exploring a few possibilities, we find that the most suitable platform is the Migration Research Hub by IMISCOE. We would strongly recommend members to add their profile and publications there with the taxonomy associations to gender/sexuality (if appropriate), if they have not already done so.
We are incredibly happy of how this new standing committee is developing, and look forward to further collaborations (and to meeting our members in person!). In the meantime, follow us here and on Twitter (@Gensem3) – and you can contact us directly at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Wishing you all a good summer!
The GenSeM steering group
Sarah, Laura, Anastasia, Maggi, Nicola and Marianela