About SWIG

Supporting Women in Geography (SWIG) is an informal network of groups that promote the participation and empowerment of women in the field of Geography, and work to reduce the isolation and barriers that can occur without awareness of our shared community.

The first SWIG group was started at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

How we operate:

SWIG groups are formed by local members at geography departments, research institutes, or any other location with women in geography or related work.  SWIG groups maintain their own organizations and schedules, and may call themselves by different acronyms. There are no formal charters, dues, or rules in most groups.

However, we do participate in the American Association of Geographers (AAG) and convene during the AAG's Annual Meeting. During this annual meeting, we share news about the formation about new SWIG groups, activities held by each group during the year, and swap stories about how to make our goal—supporting women in geography—more effective and interesting.

We keep this website and list of groups so that our network stays strong and new groups have resources to get started. Please feel free to contribute to the information on this site!

What we do:

While each group has its own organization and goals, we all try to incorporate a variety of activities that promote fellowship and professional development among women geographers, such as:

• special lectures
• informal meetings with the lecturer
• study groups
• professional training updates
• social breakfasts, lunches, or dinners
• new book discussion groups
• AAG panels and session

How to learn more:

Visit the Women in Geography page to learn about the history and current activities of women in geography.

About the AAG and Women in Geography
From Dr. Patricia Solís, Director of Research and Outreach, Association of American Geographers

The AAG has two different groups focused on women's issues, each relating differently to the organizational structure of the association.

First, there is the member-organized Specialty Group called the Geographic Perspectives on Women (commonly known as GPOW).  You can always find the most up to date Chair contact information and webpage (sometimes these migrate) on our SG display page at http://www.aag.org/sg/sg_display.cfm and scroll down to "G". 

Second, the AAG Council creates and appoints committees that serve to support the work of the AAG across a spectrum of topics, including the Committee on the Status of Women in Geography whose formal charge from the Council is as follows: 

Committee on the Status of Women in Geography. The committee monitors and promotes enhanced status for women in the profession.

For more information, you can point to http://www.aag.org/Info/info.html and click on "AAG Committees."   It's also worth pointing out that the AAG also has an Enhancing Diversity Committee.

There are, of course, other programs and resources that are of interest to women, some of which I might mention.  These include the suite of grants and awards that encourage women and minorities to apply, including the Anne U. White Fund that supports research by partners to work together, and so on.  See http://www.aag.org/Grantsawards/index.cfm for the full listing.

The AAG also has recently launched an AAG Parents Online Community to facilitate exchange of information by parents (mothers and fathers alike) who are attending the AAG Annual Meeting. Forums include Child Care Information Exchange and Family Activities in Boston.  To join, log in to www.aag.org (need not be a member but must have a log-in) and click on "subscribe/unsubscribe to specialty group news and forums" to find the AAG Annual Meeting Parents Exchange.