Conference Committee

Conference Committee | Gender and Sexuality Conference 2026

International Conference on Gender and Sexuality 2026 is a premier global forum for thought leadership, collaboration, and transformative dialogue on gender, sexuality, and social justice. At the heart of this Gender Studies 2026 Conference is the Conference Committee, the driving force behind the event’s vision and impact. This committee is much more than an advisory group. It is a team of respected scholars and practitioners who define the intellectual foundation of the conference. Their expertise ensures that every session delivers cutting-edge research, diverse cultural perspectives, and practical strategies aligned with the theme: “Gender & Sexuality: At the Crossroads with Social and Cultural Dimensions.” From shaping thematic tracks to guiding program development, the committee plays a vital role in creating an environment where innovation leads to meaningful change. By bringing together leaders in social work, feminist theory, queer studies, and global policy, the Conference Committee ensures that the Gender Studies Conference 2026 is not only informative but transformative. Their work promotes dialogue that matters, influences policy decisions, and strengthens global networks, all with the shared goal of building inclusive societies while honoring cultural diversity.

Department of Social Work and Community Development
University of Johannesburg
South Africa

Prof. Shahana Rasool

Conference Chair

Department of Social Work and Community Development
University of Johannesburg
South Africa

Meet Our Conference Chair

Prof. Shahana Rasool is a distinguished scholar, activist, and educator, currently serving as the Head of the Department of Social Work and Community Development at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa. She holds a DPhil in Social Work and Social Policy and an MSc in Comparative Social Research from the University of Oxford, and her work focuses on gender-based violence, domestic violence, gender inequality, decoloniality, and feminist social work. Prof. Rasool has contributed extensively to research on survivors’ help-seeking behaviours and the socio-cultural factors shaping violence, while also playing a key role in transforming social work education through decolonial and feminist approaches. She has held notable leadership roles, including Vice-President of the Association of Schools of Social Work in Africa and Africa representative on the board of the International Association of Schools of Social Work, reflecting her strong influence in advancing social justice and social work scholarship across the continent.

Steering Committee

Stellenbosch University
South Africa

Prof. Anthony Brown

Steering Committee Member

Stellenbosch University
South Africa

Professor Anthony Brown is a faculty member at the College of Graduate Studies, School of Interdisciplinary Research and Graduate Studies (SIRGS) at the University of South Africa (UNISA). He holds a Doctor of Education in Inclusive Education from the University of Birmingham (2010), a Master’s in Special Educational Needs from the University of Leeds (2003), and a Bachelor of Education Honours from the University of Namibia (2000). His scholarly interests lie in critical inclusivity, sexual and gender diversity in education, and social justice education. Professor Brown has published extensively, with his work exploring the intersections of education, democracy, and inclusion in Southern Africa. His notable contributions include chapters in Sex and Sexualities, Sexual Health and Justice: Perspectives from Southern Africa (2022) and Diversity and Difference in South African Schools (2018). Through his research and publications, he continues to advance dialogue and action toward equitable and inclusive education systems in Africa.

Professor of Sociology and Feminist Studies at Hampshire College
USA

Prof. Margaret Cerullo

Steering Committee Member

Professor of Sociology and Feminist Studies at Hampshire College
USA

Margaret Cerullo is a Professor of Sociology and Feminist Studies at Hampshire College, USA. She holds a B.A. in Philosophy from the University of Pennsylvania, a B.Phil. in Politics from the University of Oxford, and an M.A. in Sociology from Brandeis University. Her academic interests include social and political theory, with a particular focus on feminist and queer theory, the sociology of culture, and social movements.

Senior Lecturer and Head of the IGDS:NBU, The University of West Indies
Jamaica

Dr. Halimah DeShong

Steering Committee Member

Senior Lecturer and Head of the IGDS:NBU, The University of West Indies
Jamaica

Dr. Halimah DeShong is a Senior Lecturer and Head of the IGDS:NBU. She is an experienced feminist researcher, published in the areas of gendered and gender-based violence, feminist methodologies, anti-colonial feminisms, qualitative interviewing and analysis. She is the co-editor (with Professor Kamala Kempadoo) of Methodologies in Caribbean Research on Gender & Sexuality (2020) and is currently completing another book length manuscript on violence, the coloniality of gender and change. Her scholarly work appears in a wide range of peer-reviewed academic journals and books. She is joint editor of four special issues on Feminist Methodologies; Men and Masculinities; and Gender, Sexuality and Feminism in the Caribbean. Dr. DeShong has advised Caribbean governments on gender-based violence policies and laws, is the author of the Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) National Gender-based Violence Action Plan and has jointly designed a GBV/HFLE curriculum for post-secondary school students in SVG (with Dr. Tonya Haynes). She was also the lead researcher and author of the qualitative component of the UN Women/CARICOM/Caribbean Development Bank Women’s Health Survey on violence against women in Grenada.

Dr. DeShong served as an Ambassador and Second Deputy Permanent Representative at the Permanent Mission of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to the United Nations. She was SVG’s expert, during the country’s two-year tenure (January 2020 to December 2021) on the United Nations Security Council on Women, Peace and Security; Children and Armed Conflict; Youth, Peace and Security; and the Protection of Civilians. In addition to this, she also covered the situations in Mali, Somalia, Guinea-Bissau, and West Africa and the Sahel.

Director of Research Studies for the Department of Social,
Therapeutic and Community Studies at Goldsmiths University of London,
UK

Assoc Prof. Panagiotis Pentaris

Steering Committee Member

Director of Research Studies for the Department of Social,
Therapeutic and Community Studies at Goldsmiths University of London,
UK

Panagiotis Pentaris is an Associate Professor of Social Work & Thanatology, with international education and practice experience in disaster work and end of life care.
Panagiotis is the Director of Research and Research Studies for the Department of Social, Therapeutic and Community Studies at Goldsmiths University of London, UK, where he is also acting as Deputy Head.
His work has focused on death, dying, bereavement, religion, belief, gender and sexual diversity, and disaster social work. He is the founding leader of the Thanatology Research Lab at the University of London, and his research has explored aspects of death and dying in social science and social policy internationally.

Mr. Isanka P Gamage

Conference Convenor

The International Institute of Knowledge Management (TIIKM),
Sri Lanka
Hotline : +94 71 558 9870 | +94 77 737 9779
Phone : +94 11 204 4485
Email : isanka.gamage@tiikmedu.com

Meet Our Conference Convenor

Mr. Isanka P. Gamage, is the Co-founder and Managing Director of The International Institute of Knowledge Management Based in Sri Lanka. He is the founding manager of three international journals and has served as the Conference Convener for over 350 international Conferences organized in 8 Countries namely Sri Lanka, China, Indonesia, India, Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, and virtually. He has initiated and engaged with many different online and offline knowledge-sharing platforms to make a sustainable future.
In his journey thus far, he has had the privilege to closely work with many world-renowned personalities and also with over 450 International universities and has been in the lights of more than 2000 leading Professors across the globe on several fields of study. He has also had the honor of working with the Ministries, Diplomats, industry professionals, and international organizations in different countries.
He is reading for Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) in University of Kelaniya Sri Lanka. He has completed the Commonwealth Executive Master of Business Administration (CEMBA) and BSc Marketing. He also has a Bachelor of Therapeutic Counseling from The Open International University for Complementary Medicines.