This plenary, the first of its kind in the IAMCR conferences aims to elaborate three fundamental aspects of women's contribution to communication scholarship:
- women's involvement in formal research policy via IAMCR;
- women's research practice in the field of feminist approaches to communication research and
- women's research practice in communication research more generally.
The panel will comprise speakers who will focus on different aspects of the principal themes of achievements and future aspirations and whose contributions will generate a lively discussion on the specificity of women's contribution to communication scholarship. The aim of the plenary is to enhance women's visibility as scholars and members of the association; encourage the wider membership to actively make use of academic and professional work produced by women and to acknowledge the rich past and identify some possible directions for the future. The panel consists of scholars who represent a variety of geographic origins, seniority in the academe and research areas. This should not be understood as a 'unique' or 'special' plenary, instead the convenors would like to emphasize that the plenary should be seen as one aspect of the project of enhancing women's visibility and role in IAMCR.

Convenors
Katharine Sarikakis Vice President IAMCR and Karen Ross Chair Gender and Communication
Communication Culture and Media - Coventry University - United Kingdom

Chairperson
Frank Morgan
President Elect IAMCR - University of Newcastle - Australia

Invited speakers
Emperatriz Arreaza-Camero
Universidad del Zulia
"Women and Cinema: Another Way to Tell Stories"

Feng Yuan
China Women's News
Media Monitor Network for Women Beijing
"Engendering Chinese News Media: In the Context of Intercultural Communication"

Annabelle Sreberny
University of Leicester
"Gender and the Politics of Recognition"

Gertrude J Robinson
McGill University
"IAMCR: Then and Now: Lessons for Gender Research?"