Hero Image of 6 students listening attentively in a class with the GW Columbian College seal and a banner for the Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies program.

A global Approach to Gender and Sexuality
Challenging inequity through cross-disciplinary,
intersectional scholarship

 

Who We Are

a group of GW Women's Gender Sexuality Studies students discussing in a circle in class

 

The first graduate program in women’s studies in the United States, the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (WGSS) Program has been a leader in the field since 1972. Today, our offerings include undergraduate, graduate and combined degree options.

Known for our interdisciplinary, innovative approach, the WGSS Program bridges the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences through the study of topics relating to gender, race, sexuality, ethnicity and nationality.

Students analyze feminist theory and cross-cultural perspectives, examine historical trends and religious practices, explore policy and power structures and develop theories and methods for challenging inequality and re-imagining social justice. Beyond the classroom, students have access to unique networking events, research experiences and internship opportunities in Washington, D.C.

 

Onward GW: COVID-19 Updates

 

Ragini Sharma, BA '21, WGSS

Ragini Sharma

BA '21

"The decision to take on WGSS as a second major was the most importat moment of my undergraduate career. I am incredibly humbled to have learned from our department's wonderful professors and students in my last three semesters at GW."

 

Highlights From WGSS

Dr. Eiko Strader

WGSS Faculty Published: Dr. Eiko Strader

Congratulations to Dr. Strader for publishing "Workplace Disability and Death in an Era of Mass Incarceration: Insights from the US Military"

For Tambe, a Wider World of Women’s Studies

As the new director of the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies program, Ashwini Tambe focuses her scholarship across borders, disciplines and lives.

WGSS Faculty Published: Dr. Eiko Strader

Congratulations to Dr. Eiko Strader on her recent policy brief contribution, "Workplace Disability and Death in an Era of Mass Incarceration: Insights from the US Military." This work was published by the Sociological Insights for Development Policy! In this piece, Dr. Strader explores the connection between the high incarceration rates in the United States and the nation's military strength, considering that the military is one of the largest employers in the U.S. to regularly hire people with a criminal record. This research adds to the growing body of knowledge about the nature of jobs that are available to the people who come into contact with the criminal justice system.

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Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at the George Washington University