Committee on Gender Equity in Anthropology

The Committee on Gender Equity in Anthropology (CoGEA) monitors the status of gender equity in the discipline and the American Anthropological Association, advising the Executive Board and educating members. The Committee reports to the Executive Board. Members are elected from and by the AAA membership at large.

Since 1995, CoGEA (formerly the Committee on the Status of Women in Anthropology or COSWA), a standing committee of the AAA, has considered several new initiatives of interest to the membership. The initiatives include attention to sexual harassment, part-time employment, issues in academic and nonacademic employment, and issues of "productivity," assessment which is so important to promotion and tenure.

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Committee Charge

Objectives: Monitor the status of gender equity in the discipline and the American Anthropological Association. Advise the Executive Board on the status of gender equity in the discipline and the Association to educate members.

Duration of Committee: Permanent.

Committee Reports to: The Executive Board

Responsibilities:

• To monitor all forms of gender discrimination within the discipline
• To pursue greater gender equity in the discipline by means of:
  1. monitoring, including gathering information that illuminates issues that affect gender equity in anthropology as well as efforts to obtain existing comparable survey data,
  2. advocating, including bringing findings before the Association's members, in the form of resolutions, when appropriate and
  3. educating, including distributing brochures, meeting with department chairs, meeting with business representatives, setting up an interactive presence on the internet/web and writing periodic//s3.amazonaws.com/rdcms-aaa/files/production/public/FileDownloads/pdfs/pdf/20070424144005.pdf for the AN.
• To identify forms of sexual harassment and bullying in all settings where anthropologists work and learn including the varieties of biases that complicate issues regarding race/ethnicity, gender stereotyping and preferences, class, and disabilities.
• To interact on an ongoing basis with the Association's long range planning process on issues of gender parity.

Membership and Appointment:

• 7 members, including the Chair
• Committee members are elected at-large with designated seats for:
  • Practicing/professional anthropologist
  • A graduate student anthropologist
  • 5 undesignated seats
• President and President-elect/Vice President sit as Ex-officio
• Chair is elected by the Committee from within the Committee

Product: Periodic reports shall be submitted to the Executive Board.

Meetings and Schedule: One face to face meeting at annual meeting and by teleconference in the spring.

Staff Liaison and contact information: Anne Kelsey, Marketing & Communications Manager, American Anthropological Association, 703/528-1902, ext 1171.

Date Created or Revised: May 19, 2012