Structural and intersecting inequities, such as those based on gender, sexuality, race, indigeneity, lifecycle stage and disability, establish entrenched patterns of disadvantage and privilege that inhibit wellbeing and social and environmental justice. These inequities are the result of complex social norms and power relations embedded in context and have deep historical roots.

The Gender and Social Difference Research Group aims to understand and address these dynamics. Our objective is to co-create new, meaningful and shared knowledge to reduce inequity and foster broader transformative change towards gender, intersectional, social and environmental justice.

We work towards our goal by striving to foster inclusive environments and networks based on care ethics for stimulating and equitable collaboration and developing priorities and ideas with partners that are theoretically robust, empirically sound, original, and meaningful for the communities and struggles we aim to give voice.

We use a range of gender and intersectional approaches that involve mixed methods, lived experience, inter/trans disciplinarity and co-creation for research, learning and impact, drawing on a range of theory including grounded theory, (gender) transformative change, social reproduction, geographies and ethics of care, pluralism, feminist political ecology and economy.

Our work relates to several interrelated themes including food systems and food and nutrition security; soil health; social movements and collectives; environmental and climatic change; mental health; gender-based violence; work, technology and innovation; food cultures; governance and rights of/to land and nature, and peace and conflict.

Explore the 2024 Gender and Social Difference Opinion Series developed in collaboration with NRI's Gender and Social Difference Research Group.