In Class FST 706: Gender, Food, and Rights

Falk College features a new graduate-level course that explores one of the world’s most important issues: access to food. Professor Anne Bellows provides a unique perspective for students, and as part of the class, students are brought to the United Nations to view policymaking decisions first hand. This video offers a snapshot of the class and course.

In Class FST 706: Gender, Food, and Rights from Syracuse University News on Vimeo.

Here’s a transcription of the video:

Falk College Graduate Student Melanie Shaffer Cutillo says “Our class is about issues relating to gender, and food rights, such as food security, land rights, women’s access to policy, gender mainstreaming within food and agricultural policy, for instance.”

“More than 60% of malnourished people in the world are women. And women are 51% of the population and clearly there is an issue there. Looking at the food systems, through the lens of how women are eating is incredibly important, because women are responsible for the household, and often responsible for the children.”

Falk College Student Karen Cordano says “You have to remember that gender is not just about women. It’s about men as well, and children. And that in this class, particularly it’s been interesting to see that, that how those gender norms and structural violence takes place, within family lives and also within policy.”

Professor Anne Bellows says “I work at the intersection of gender, food and agriculture, and food and nutrition security. The United Nations, in general, and human rights as a process in particular is something that we feel is so far away from us, so far away from our realities.”

“It was incredibly eye opening. It was a completely invaluable experience. ”

“And it was just so interesting to see the different levels of engagement going on, and to see their different insights, and to see where the commonalities, but also the differences lay.”

“After completing the Master’s program here, I am thinking about the kind of advocacy work I want to do and before the trip to the UN, I was thinking on a more international level, and seeing how that works. It has made me do a lot of thinking about advocacy that is happening in Syracuse.”

“I think her expertise has just been such an asset to Falk College and to the university. So it will be really interesting to see what she does and I know they’re developing a graduate program in food studies based on a lot of her efforts. So it will be really incredible to see what happens.”

“It is a combination of a personal and professional relationship and I think all good work. For me, academic work is based on passion. And I like to have this kind of passion of my interest in the kind of work the students are doing.”