Page 24 - E-BOOK PULSE@FASS ISU NO.02/2023

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POSTGRADUATE HIGHLIGHT - DANIELLE AGYEMANG
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My name is Danielle Agyemang, PP O S T G R A D U A T E H I I G H L I I G H T - D A N I I E L L E A G Y E M A N G
and I am a human rights practitioner
from the United States. Prior to unearthing narratives and experiences that underpin
pursuing my PhD, I worked in the conceptions of power realised by rural teenage girls and
foreign policy space in Washington analysing their voices and social imaginaries, my research
DC, managing a global portfolio to aims to contextualize these power narratives as valuable
promote human rights, contributions to gender and development research, thus
democratization, and the inclusion offering new perspectives for analysing power structures and
of youth and marginalized transformations in diverse socio-cultural settings.
populations in civic and political
processes. My Master of Arts degree
is in gender studies and
international development, which I
undertook at the Institute of
Development Studies, University of Sussex in the U.K. My
Bachelor of Arts degree is in sociology and international
development and humanitarian assistance from the
University of Florida in the U.S.
My professional experience afforded me great opportunities
to work all over the world, primarily in Eastern Europe, Latin
America, Africa, and minimally in East Asia. However, after a Life in The Gambia
decade of working in this space, I was ready for a new My current field of study is in sociology and cultural studies.
challenge. Wanting to expand my professional experience Growing up and working in different parts of the world, I have
and network in SE Asia, I took a particular interest in Malaysia witnessed systemic challenges that disproportionately affect
for its diverse population and interesting socio-cultural and girls, such as poverty, violence, and barriers to education and
political landscape and history. Intellectually, I was motivated political spaces. Thus, I have become passionate about
to study in a region and at an institution that would challenge gender justice and understanding the social and cultural
me to think beyond the traditional, and often western bodies norms that hinder and reinforce this aim globally. I have
of knowledge, frameworks, and methodologies used in the committed my life’s work to finding solutions to societal
study of gender and development. Through networking, I problems, particularly concerning girls. I chose this field and
was introduced to my now supervisor, Dr. Vilashini Somiah mission because I believe that at the core of advancing the
from the Gender studies Programme. After discussing my empowerment of girls, women, and other marginalized
academic interests with her and learning about her own work populations, is the way we understand and talk about power
around women's narratives, as well as her and the in research and development.
department's commitment to nurturing emerging scholars, I
was compelled to apply to the gender studies program at There are many challenges in researching power and gender
UM. It was also very encouraging to see how well the in rural and post-colonial societies. I would say the biggest
institution ranked in the Global QS system. fundamental challenge in my context is that rural teenage
girls are often invisible (ignored and inaccessible) so
My PhD research explores the agency of rural girls and therefore, there is a dearth of first-hand information about
examines discourses around power and powerlessness. their lives and interests. Practically, one of the challenges was
While existing frameworks have captured the limitations reminding myself that I was in the field as a scholar and not a
patriarchy, religion, and traditional practices impose on girls, practitioner. Where most of my career, I have gone into
very little scholarship exists on how rural teenage girls communities (with a lot privilege) with hopes to build
navigate norms, negotiate value systems, and leverage their capacities, empower, fund local projects, teach, coming into
lived experiences to meet their interests. Through the communities as a scholar involves (humility) listening more
examination of power narratives held by rural teenage girls in than you speak, learning more than you teach, and
The Gambia, my research seeks to challenge linear remembering that you are not there to fund or solve issues.
conceptualizations of power in the broader study of girls and
rural, post-colonial, and indigenous populations and I thoroughly enjoyed field work. Getting to interact with girls
societies. Further, my research centres responses and and communities, learning from them and challenging my
conceptualizations from girls themselves, practically as the own preconceived notions and biases. Moreover, the whole
experts on their lives, and theoretically as the primary source programme has been life changing. I am eternally grateful to
of ‘knowing. Building on this foundation, I draw from diverse have such wonderful advisors and mentors in Dr. Vilashini
feminist frameworks, primarily from Africa and Asia, and Somiah and Dr. Khoo Ying Hooi. I am incredibly blessed to
leveraged indigenous knowledge systems as a have this rich experience.
methodological framework to develop and facilitate Danielle Agyemang is preparing for her Candidature Defence
storytelling sessions that would unearth such narratives. By scheduled in early 2024
24 | Pulse@FASS