Durham Archaeology staff and students visited the University of York on 21 October to participate in the first annual meeting and lecture of the Steppe Sisters Network.
Steppe Sisters is dedicated to connecting and supporting women* and underrepresented groups who engage in academic research (particularly human sciences) in Central Asia and neighbouring regions. The event was attended in person and online by researchers from Central Asia, the South Caucasus, Europe, and North America, and the keynote lecture, 'Writing from Home: Decolonial Agenda and Sensitivity in Writing on and with Central Asia“, was delivered by Dr Diana Kudaibergenova (University of Cambridge).
The featured photo above shows in-person participants at the Steppe Sisters Annual Meeting, including Durham Archaeology’s Dr Kristen Hopper (chair of the Steppe Sisters Steering Committee), PhD Student Aiya Raissova (Steppe Sisters Steering Committee Member) and both past (Stefania Fiori) and current (Handegul Canli) visiting staff and students.
Current Durham PhD researcher Aiya Raissova gave an excellent talk on the barriers to academic advancement that women archaeologists from Central Asia currently face – including cultural and linguistic barriers, lack of funding opportunities, and gender equity issues – and the difference that networks, like Steppe Sisters, can make in supporting the progression of women in human sciences.
Durham PhD Student Aiya Raissova giving a talk on the current barriers that women in archaeology in Central Asia face.
The last year and a half have seen significant achievements for the network, as Durham Archaeology’s Dr Kristen Hopper, the current Steppe Sisters Steering Committee Chair, reported. In 2022, Steppe Sisters held their first Early Career Conference in Tashkent, Uzbekistan with participants from across Central Asia and Europe. Travel, accommodation, and childcare costs were all covered to overcome any challenges to participation. This past summer, the network also launched a mentoring network, a small grants programme, and a Blog Post/Video competition. The recipients of the grants and competition were on hand virtually at the meeting to present their projects and talk about challenges they have faced in their academic journeys. All these activities were made possible with generous support from a Humboldt Alumni Award 2021 for Innovative Networking, and the Doris Duke Foundation.
Attendees at the first Steppe Sisters Early Career Conference in Tashkent in September 2022.
*Women encompasses all women, as based on gender identity or/and biological sex, and underrepresented groups, as well as those discriminated against based on their gender identity.
Our Department of Archaeology is a leading centre for the study of archaeology and is ranked 10th in the world (QS World University Rankings by subject 2023). We are an inclusive, vibrant and international community. Our students develop knowledge and gain essential and transferable skills through research-led teaching and lab-based training.
Steppe Sisters 2023 AGM in York, UK.
