Launched in November last year, the Faculty for Social Wellbeing’s Gender Studies Department is based on three main pillars: teaching, research and activism. The latter was tangible as three academics at the department – Marceline Naudi, Brenda Murphy and Josann Cutajar – describe some of their activities.

They are all active in civil society, working to address violence against women, imbalance and discrimination in the media, and poverty and discrimination in the country. They have all been members of the Women’s Study Group, since it was set up almost 20 years ago, and the group is part of the Malta Confederation of Women’s Organisations, which is a part of the European Women’s Lobby. These are merely a few of the many activities they are involved in, but they an integral part of the new department’s philosophy.

In October the department will welcome applicants wishing to read for a Masters in Gender Studies (by research). Its main component will be research based (60 ECTS), with a 30 ECTS taught component focusing on Feminist Epistemologies and Feminist Research Methods.

As from October 2015 the department will offer a taught Masters in Gender Studies, which will consist of 60 ECTS of taught study units and a research dissertation (30 ECTS).

Also in October 2015 the department will offer a preparatory course so that students, especially mature women returning to education, may identify other routes to postgraduate studies. The course will fill gaps in conceptual frameworks and allow students to ‘make up’ study units and qualify for entry to the taught Masters after completing the preparatory course.

PhD candidates are already being accepted by the department, and there is growing need, awareness and subsequently a demand for research projects with ‘gender’ as a core variable.

The department also hopes to be able to offer individual study units pertaining to gender with various faculties at undergraduate level. The aim, according to department head Dr Naudi, is “to see how we can serve them in the area of gender”.

Melissa McElhatton, 19, is a second year BA (Hons) Social Work student.