Summary
Presenting and interpreting “gender” and “gender mainstreaming”
Target groups
Implementing organization
University of Salzburg - gendup - Center for Gender Studies and the Advancement of Women /Contact
Ingrid Schmutzhart; ingrid.schmutzhart@sbg.ac.at
Implemented/introduced
Has been implemented at the Paris Lodron University of Salzburg since 2008
The objective(s) of the tool
In the summer semester of 2008, gendup – Centre for Gender Studies and Gender Equality at the University of Salzburg organized a photo competition for students on the topic of “gender”. The idea for the photo competition arose from considerations of how to continue motivating students to concern themselves with issues of “gender” and “gender mainstreaming” respectively; questions regarding the general extent of actual awareness of these matters also played a role. The word “gender” may be on many people’s lips, but a closer look reveals that only few have explored the field more thoroughly. The aim of this photo competition was to promote engagement with the topic “gender” and to make “gender or gender mainstreaming” visible.
Description of the tool
Students of the Paris Lodron University Salzburg were invited to participate in the gendup photo competition. For submission, (a maximum of three) photos connected to the topic of “gender” or “gender mainstreaming” had to be sent to gendup under the keyword “photo competition (digitally on a CD with name, address, telephone number and matriculation number), including corresponding (short) interpretations. A jury of five – consisting of a professional photographer (Helge Kirchberger), the manager of Galerie 5020 and gender lecturer (Hildegard Fraueneder), a student from the women’s department of the Austrian Students Union (ÖH) at Salzburg University (Irene Irauschek) and two gendup employees (Ursula Vieider, Ingrid Schmutzhart) – selected the three winning photos. The 1st prize was €500 (sponsored by the women’s department of the Austrian Students Union (ÖH) at Salzburg University), the 2nd prize was two festival tickets for the performance of “Jedermann” (donated by the ticket office Polzer) and the third prize was a dinner for two at Schloss Fuschl (donated by Schloss Fuschl). There were 27 submissions in total. The winning photos were honored at a prize-giving ceremony and an exhibition at gendup. A special newsletter and a photo book were also created.
How the tool works, practical experience
The great number of exciting and manifold contributions to the photo competition as well as the individual perceptions of “gender and gender mainstreaming” on display in the photographs, compelled us to render them publicly accessible in order to encourage discussion. Offering the contributions in the forms of special newsletter and photo book was intended to invite viewers to critically reflect on the pictures and judge for themselves. Additionally, both pictures and interpretations were presented as part of an exhibition at gendup for several weeks.
Attachments
Special Newsletter Photo Competition (no longer available)
Poster Invitation to Photo Competition (in German only)