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LSE: Public lectures and events

Agents of change? The challenges of understanding empowerment through international development

Mar 31, 2025
Join Professor Jo Sharp, Geographer Royal for Scotland and a leading figure in feminist geography, as she delves into the challenges of empowerment in international development. She shares insights from her work with Bedouin women in Egypt, highlighting local knowledge's role in environmental management. In Tanzania, she examines zoonotic diseases and the need for community-driven health solutions. Through stories of generational shifts and collaborative research, she questions assumptions of agency and highlights the importance of participatory approaches.
01:27:03
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Episode guests

Jo Sharp

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • Empowerment in international development requires recognizing the unique environmental knowledge of marginalized groups, particularly women in Bedouin communities.
  • The complexities of empowerment interventions highlight the necessity for cultural alignment and community acceptance when implementing development projects.

Deep dives

Influence of Feminist Geography

The work addresses the impact of feminist geography on understanding human interactions with space and environment. It emphasizes how traditional geopolitical analyses often overlook the influence of gender and local knowledge systems. By including perspectives from Bedouin women and their lived experiences, the argument highlights the importance of recognizing women's contributions to environmental management. This approach not only enriches academic discourse but also empowers marginalized voices in discussions about geography and development.

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