On the occasion of听yesterday鈥檚听International Women鈥檚 Day,听here are just a few highlights of the exciting research and initiatives for you to discover that are听happening听within听our听the听Faculty of Arts.听听
From research on the pioneering Ojibwe and Haitian-American sculptor Edmonia Wildfire Lewis, to听women鈥檚 reproductive autonomy and the economic and social policies that affect women and their economic development around the world,听this International Women鈥檚 Day听we proudly place a spotlight on听the wide-ranging research topics across the humanities and social sciences听connected to听the histories, realities and contributions of women in Canada and around the globe.听
Gloria Bell (Edmonia Lewis) Art History:听Professor Bell鈥檚 research examines visual culture focusing on Indigenous arts of the Americas. Her latest research publications delve into the life and work of Edmonia Wildfire Lewis, the 19th听Century Ojibwe and听Haitian-American听sculptor. Bell鈥檚 latest book,听Eternal Sovereigns,听features an entire chapter on Lewis and her legacy.听Read our interview with Professor Bell about Eternal Sovereigns.听听
Through Bell鈥檚 research, we learn that Edmonia Wildfire Lewis was a sculptor and businessperson who had a studio with twenty assistants working for her in Rome and she created marble and plaster works that explored themes of Catholicism, Indigeneity and Black freedom and liberty.听听
滨苍听our interview with Professor Bell听about听Eternal Sovereigns,听she said:听鈥淓dmonia Lewis鈥� life and sculptural works continue to defy settler colonial ideas and ideals of Indigeneity and help us understand a more complex world of Indigenous and Black life in Italy and on Turtle Island. Her travels and life choices continue to inspire my scholarship thinking about global Indigenous arts on a continuum.鈥澨�
Shelley Clark (Sociology):听Clark is a demographer whose research focuses on gender, health, family dynamics, and life course transitions, and she has recently embarked on a new research agenda to assess rural and urban inequalities and family dynamics in the United States and Canada. Her most recent research publications examine women鈥檚 reproductive autonomy in the US and Canada, and she听has authored听Op-Eds听in the Washington Post听and The Conversation,听about the sharp decline in traditional marriages in rural American and the听faulty assumptions of听falling birth rates.听听
Amy听Janzwood听(Political Science):听Janzwood鈥檚听research explores the comparative politics of energy and the environment, with a particular focus on the policy pathways that move us towards more just and sustainable energy systems.听Janzwood听has been听involved听with Women & Inclusivity in听Sustainable听Energy Research (WISER), a global network of more than 200 women and听non-binary researchers in the field of sustainable energy, to increase the strength, visibility, and impact of gender-diverse energy scholars听
滨苍听our interview with Janzwood听about her latest book, she discusses听how听her involvement with WISER听grew out of her research on movements challenging fossil energy systems.听听
鈥淭ransforming energy systems in ways that are more听equitable, sustainable, and responsive to the needs of communities requires 鈥� and benefits from 鈥撎齭aid听Janzwood. 鈥淭oday, as we are witnessing the rollback of equity, diversity, inclusion, and decolonization initiatives in many institutions 鈥� and renewed political attacks on both climate action and EDI efforts 鈥� networks like WISER are vital.鈥澨�
Sonia Laszlo听(Economics):听Laszlo鈥檚听current research is primarily focused on the microeconomics of social policies and their effects on women and women's economic empowerment.听Laszlo听is听also听the Director of the Women鈥檚 Empowerment in Development (WED) Lab at 91丝瓜视频.听The lab鈥檚听research aims to provide rigorous evidence on the social and economic barriers that women and girls face in developing countries and around the world.听Discover the lab鈥檚 research at听/womensempowerment-lab/听听
Katherine Lemons (Anthropology):听Lemons鈥� research focuses primarily on Islamic family law adjudication in India听which is a subject that has implications for understanding Muslim gender and kin relations, secularism, minority politics, and legal pluralism. Her latest research draws on ethnographic and archival research on sharia courts in Canada and argues that these religiously binding legal institutions听supplement provincial courts by providing a necessary service to pious Muslim women.听听
Melissa Shaw (History and Classical Studies):听Shaw听is a historian of Black Canadian history and听her most recent publication examined the听history and听impact of Black听women鈥檚 leadership听of the Toronto UNIA Hall from 1919 through 1939.听She was awarded the 2025 Best Article or Paper Award from the Ontario听Historical Society for her article 鈥溙齱hich was praised as an 鈥榚xcellent piece of scholarship that enhances [awareness] of听Ontarrio鈥檚听diverse history.鈥澨�
Her upcoming monograph,听Unblemished Citizenship: Black Canadian Women鈥檚 Fight for Racial Justice, 1919-1939, will examine the overlooked community-building activism of women who used grassroots, national, continental, and global Black Diaspora networks to combat anti-Black racism and foster intra-racial solidarity and Black pride in Ontario.听
Read more听about Professor听Shaw鈥檚 ongoing research.听听
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