Speakers

Keynote Speakers

Insightful voices leading the discourse on gender, equality, and transformation.

Dr. Anita Gurumurthy

Dr. Anita Gurumurthy

Executive Director, IT for Change

Bangalore, India

anita@ITforChange.net

Gender Justice Digital Rights Policy Research

“Gender, Technology, and Digital Justice: Bridging the Gap”

Highlights the urgency for equitable access to technology, digital rights, and justice, especially for marginalized genders.

Educational Background

  • Master’s Degree in Social Work – Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai, 1990
  • Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce – Bombay University, 1988
  • UGC-NET Qualified (Junior Research Fellowship & Lectureship Eligibility), December 1991

Research Focus Areas

  • Political economy of the digital
  • Gender justice and digital technologies
  • ICT-enabled citizen participation and governance
  • Technology-mediated gender-based violence
  • Digital transformation and inclusive development

Key Roles and Research Projects

  • Executive Director, IT for Change, Bengaluru
  • Principal Investigator, multi-country research on platform governance (IDRC, Canada)
  • Lead Researcher, study on technology-mediated violence against women (World Wide Web Foundation)
  • Project Leader, “Voice or Chatter?” and E-Government & Gender Equality in Asia-Pacific (UNESCAP)
  • Research Consultant, Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIMB)
  • Policy Researcher, National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), Bengaluru

Journal Articles

  • Digital India: Whose India? Whose Agenda? – Journal of Information Policy (2016)
  • Internet Governance as Ideology in Practice: India's Free Basics Controversy – Internet Policy Review (2016)
  • Violence Against Women via Cyberspace – Economic and Political Weekly (2009)
  • Promoting Gender Equality? ICT Use by Women – Development in Practice (2006)

Books & Research Reports

  • Gender in the Information Society: Emerging Issues (2006, UNDP-APDIP)
  • Voice or Chatter? Making ICTs Work for Transformative Citizen Engagement (2017, IDS Sussex)

Other Contributions

  • Member of advisory and steering committees: UNESCO GAMAG, DAWN, Karnataka SDG Goal 5 Committee, and others
  • Regular keynote speaker at global forums: IAMCR, IGF, UNESCO, COHERE, UN Women
  • Frequent contributor to international media and policy platforms including Firstpost, OpenDemocracy, GenderIT.org, and Hindustan Times
Prof. Madya Dr. Khadijah Binti Alavi

Prof. Madya Dr. Khadijah Binti Alavi

Centre for Research in Psychology & Human Well-Being (PsiTra), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM)

khadijah@ukm.edu.my | +603 8921 5555

Gerontology Community Development Social Policy

“Gender and Elderly”

Discusses the intersection of gender and aging, and how policy and community support can improve the lives of the elderly.

Educational Background

  • Ph.D. in Community Education and Development, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 2008
  • Master of Arts in Social Anthropology, University of Malaya, 1999
  • Bachelor's Degree in Anthropology, Universitas Andalas, Indonesia, 1993

Research Focus Areas

  • Gerontological Social Work
  • Long-term Elderly Care and Caregiver Support
  • Community Development and Social Protection
  • Training and Capacity Building of Care Workers
  • Social Policy on Aging and Elderly Welfare

High-Impact Publications

  • Eldercare’s Turnover Intention and HR Approaches – International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (2023)
  • Connecting Social Care and Healthcare for Older Adults in Asia – Sustainability (2022)
  • Factors Associated With Community Volunteering Among Adults Over Age 50 in Malaysia – PLOS ONE (2024)
  • A Scoping Review of Mobility Barriers Among Older Adults – International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (2023)

Scopus/ERA-indexed Works

  • Social Entrepreneurship Among Youth in Elderly Care – MAJCAFE (2024)
  • Community-Based Social Protection for the Elderly in Indonesia – Journal of Research Administration (2024)
  • Exploring Gerontological Skills Through Vocational Education – Pertanika Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities (2020)

WOS-indexed Works

  • Application of Rasch Model on Resilience in Higher Education – International Journal of Higher Education (2020)
  • Effective Communication with the Elderly: Social Work Perspective – Malaysian Journal of Communication (2017)

Books and Monographs

  • Rumahku Syurgaku: Long-Term Elderly Care in Malaysia (2022)
  • Social Support During the COVID-19 Pandemic (2022)
  • Gerontological Social Work in Modern Elderly Care (2020)
  • Basic Theories in Social Work Practice (2024)
  • Writing a Thesis: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches (2019)
Dr. Nor Ismah

Dr. Nor Ismah

National University of Singapore

nismah@nus.edu.sg

Islamic Feminism Women’s Movements Gender & Religion

“Muslim Women Movement”

Examines the evolution and impact of Muslim women’s movements in shaping societal change and gender equality in Southeast Asia.

Educational Background

  • Ph.D. in Southeast Asian Studies – Leiden University, Netherlands (2023)
  • M.A. in Southeast Asian Studies – University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, USA (2012)
  • S.S. in Arabic Language and Literature – Sunan Kalijaga State Islamic University, Indonesia (2002)

Research Focus Areas

  • Female Islamic Authority in Indonesia
  • Muslim Women’s Movements and Feminist Interpretations
  • Women’s Knowledge Production and Media
  • Anthropology, Gender, and Islamic Studies

Refereed Articles

  • Women’s Fatwa-Making in Indonesia: Gender, Authority, and Legal Practice – International Journal of Islam in Asia, 2023
  • Platform Writers and Muslim Women Novelists in Indonesia – International Quarterly for Asian Studies, 2023
  • Islamic Feminism and the Congress of Women Islamic Scholars (w/ David Kloos) – History and Anthropology, 2023
  • Destabilising Male Domination through Female Ulama Authority – Asian Studies Review, 2016

Books / Edited Book / Book Chapters

  • Economic Empowerment for Women-Led MSMEs in Rural Indonesia (2023) – Co-author
  • Salam from Pesantren: Youth and Peace Media (2014)
  • Munjidah Wahab: Authority, Professionalism, and Public Policy in Jombang (2023)
  • Islamic Feminist Reflections – in Feminis Cari Ribut (2021)
  • Women Studying Women – in Ethnographic Research in Indonesia (2019)
  • Women Writers from Pesantren – in Indonesian Women Writers, Berlin (2015)

Awards and Fellowships

  • Emerging Scholars in Asian Studies, University of Delaware (2024)
  • Gosling-Lim Postdoctoral Fellowship, AAS & University of Michigan (2023–2024)
  • Co2libri Early Career Researcher Fellowship, Humboldt University Berlin (2023)
  • IVLP on Empowering Muslim Women, U.S. Department of State (2021)
  • Women Living Under Muslim Law Research Fellow, Concordia University, Canada (2021–2022)
  • Summer Program on Gender in Muslim Contexts, AKU-ISMC, UK (2021)
  • Multifaith Women Leaders Program, Australia Awards (2020)
  • Empowerment of Women in Indonesia Conference, UCLA (2019)
  • Ph.D. Scholarship, Indonesia Endowment Fund for Education (LPDP), 2016–2020
  • IFP Ford Foundation Fellow, for Master’s and Alumni Distinction (2010–2015)
  • Graduate Affiliate Scholarship, East-West Center Hawai’i (2010–2012)
Vonny Indah Mutiara

Vonny Indah Mutiara, S.P., MEM., Ph.D

Universitas Andalas, Indonesia

mutiaravonny@agr.unand.ac.id

Agribusiness Gender Rural Development

“Gender and Natural Resources Development”

Focuses on gender equity in the sustainable management and policy formulation of natural resources at regional and national levels.

Educational Background

  • Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics – Gifu University, Japan, 2016
  • Master of Environmental Management (MEM) – Flinders University, Australia, 2006
  • Bachelor’s Degree in Agricultural Socioeconomics – Universitas Andalas, Indonesia, 2000

Research Focus Areas

  • Gender and Rural Development
  • Socio-Economic Aspects of Agriculture
  • Sustainable Agriculture Development
  • Capacity Building on Gender and Natural Resources Management
  • Integration of Gender Perspectives in Agricultural and Rural Policies

Selected Publications

  • The Role of Women in Rural Development: Lessons from Nagari Indudur, West Sumatra – 2022 (1st author)
  • Incentive Program Towards Sustainability of Organic Rice Certification in Limapuluh Kota Regency – 2021 (1st author, 3 citations)
  • Livelihood Strategies of Farmers in Padang During COVID-19 Pandemic – 2021 (2nd author, 1 citation)
  • Farmers' Resilience Towards Land Use Change in Padang, West Sumatra – (co-author)
  • Sago Farmers’ Characteristics in Meranti Islands, Riau – Jurnal Ilmiah Universitas Batanghari Jambi, 2024 (1 citation)
  • Household Food Security Analysis of Organic Farmers in Padang Panjang – Journal of Socio-economics on Tropical Agriculture, 2024
  • Marketing Channel Assessment of Robusta Coffee in Solok – JACE, 2024 (1 citation)
  • Income Optimization of Smallholder Rubber Farmers – Jurnal Pertanian Agros, 2024
  • Rice Market Integration in West Sumatra – Jurnal Ekonomi Pertanian dan Agribisnis, 2024
  • Performance Study of Solok Radjo Coffee Farmers – Jurnal Pertanian Agros, 2023 (2 citations)
  • Agroindustry Dynamics of Sago in Indonesia – Jurnal Agribisnis, 2023 (1 citation)
  • Risk Preference Analysis of Gambir Farmers in Pesisir Selatan – Jurnal Ekonomi Pertanian dan Agribisnis, 2023
  • Strengthening Production Management with 3R Concept in Snack Food Agroindustry in Padang – Warta Pengabdian Andalas, 2023 (1 citation)
Dr. Dina Afrianty

Dr. Dina Afrianty

Australian Catholic University

Sydney, Australia

Dina.Afrianty@acu.edu.au

Islam & Gender Disability Inclusion Sharia Law

“Gender, Islam and Politics in Indonesia: Challenges and Opportunities”

Dr. Dina Afrianty explores how Islamic legal and educational frameworks intersect with gender justice, women's rights, and inclusive policies in Indonesia and Southeast Asia.

Educational Background

  • Ph.D. in Arts and Law – University of Melbourne, 2011
  • M.A. in Contemporary Asian Analysis – University of Melbourne, 2003
  • B.A. in International Relations – Padjadjaran University, 1996

Research Focus Areas

  • Women and Sharia Law in Indonesia
  • Disability Inclusion in Islamic Contexts
  • Islamic Education and Gender Equality
  • Human Rights, Law, and Religion in Southeast Asia

Books & Chapters

  • Women and Sharia Law in Northern Indonesia – Routledge, 2015
  • (Forthcoming) Disability, Islam and Inclusion – Routledge
  • Mencetak Muslim Modern – Gramedia, 2006
  • “Aceh’s Islamic Criminal Code” in Crime and Punishment in Indonesia – Routledge, 2021
  • “Disability Inclusion in Indonesia” in Contentious Belonging – ISEAS, 2019
  • “Women’s Responses to Islamic Law in Aceh” in Routledge Handbook of Indonesia, 2018

Refereed Articles

  • “Rising Public Piety and the Status of Women in Indonesia” – TRaNS, 2020
  • “Agents for Change: Local Women’s NGOs and Domestic Violence” – BKI, Brill, 2018
  • “Islamic Education and Youth Extremism” – Journal of Policing, Intelligence and Counter Terrorism, 2012

Professional Affiliations & Teaching

  • Research Fellow, Columbia University
  • Research Associate, University of Melbourne (CILIS)
  • Research Associate, UIN Jakarta
  • Member, Asian Studies Association of Australia & ASEAN-Europe Foundation
  • Editorial Board, Studia Islamika – UIN Jakarta
  • Former Senior Lecturer – UIN Jakarta
  • Accredited PhD Supervisor – La Trobe & ACU
  • Supervised 20+ theses in International Relations & Islamic Studies
Prof. Anna M. Gade

Prof. Anna M. Gade

University of Wisconsin - Madison

Berkeley, California, USA

amgade@wisc.edu

Islamic Studies Environmental Ethics Southeast Asian Religion

“Religion, Sustainability, and Southeast Asian Islam”

Prof. Gade explores intersections of religion and environmental ethics, focusing on Islamic traditions and sustainability issues in Southeast Asia.

Educational Background

  • Ph.D. in History of Religions (Islam) – University of Chicago Divinity School (with distinction)
  • M.A. in Islamic Studies – University of Chicago
  • B.A. in Mathematics – Swarthmore College (also studied at Harvard University)

Research Focus Areas

  • Islamic Studies and Qur’anic Studies
  • Environmental Humanities and Ethics
  • Religion and Sustainability in the Global South
  • Ritual, Affect, and Emotion in Religious Practice
  • Southeast Asian Islam (Indonesia & Cambodia)

Professional Experience

  • Professor – University of Wisconsin–Madison
  • Cornell University – Dept. of Near Eastern Studies
  • Princeton University – Dept. of Religion/Music
  • Oberlin College – Dept. of Religion
  • Visiting Professor – UGM, UIII (Indonesia)

Selected Books

  • Perfection Makes Practice – University of Hawai’i Press, 2004
  • The Cham Rebellion – Documentation Center of Cambodia, 2006
  • The Qur’an: An Introduction – Oneworld, 2010
  • Muslim Environmentalisms – Columbia University Press, 2019

Selected Articles

  • "Muslim Environmentalisms and Environmental Ethics" – The Muslim World, 2023