A hydrofeminist’s reflections of conferencing in a (poly)crisis
Conferencing in a (poly)crisis:
A hydrofeminist’s reflections from Development Studies
Association (DSA) 2025, Bath
Conference
Theme: Navigating (poly)crisis: dangers and opportunities in development
Blog
Theme: Where menstrual cycles, celebrity scholars, new friendships, broken bus
systems, and feminist economics all came together!
Post-conference note:
I’m more convinced than ever that the
development studies and social scientists/ feminist economists need to engage more
deeply with Civil and Public Health Engineering. As someone based in Civil
Engineering, I’ve heard and seen the reverse happening for a very long time
already! It’s always great to see the development sector deep dive into social
justice, gender equality, and universal access, with newer theories/
explanations/ associations. However, in my brief interactions, I noticed that
many still had no idea how WASH/public health engineering works, for example,
water contamination can be geogenic, not just anthropogenic/ systemic. We’re
quick to critique engineers for their lack of social engagement, yet we rarely
hold social scientists to similar standards when they ignore technical
realities. Meanwhile, the WASH sector remains insulated from critical
social inquiry, especially on gender justice, with the latest thinking going
back to rudimentary ‘should water even engage with gender?’. Maybe that’s why gender
justice policy and water policy continue to speak past each other. Maybe that’s
the crisis we need to name. Anyway, this blog/ report is a personal piece of
reflection based on the rich conference interactions.
Why this
conference mattered?
As
a hydrofeminist (someone who believes water justice = gender justice = env
justice) doctoral researcher working on water, gender, and governance,
attending the Development Studies Association (DSA) Conference 2025 in Bath was
a personal and professional milestone.
One
thing I have learnt about PhD is – definitions, and more definitions. So,
here we go!
A
polycrisis (conference theme) refers to the simultaneous occurrence of
multiple, interconnected crises that amplify each other's negative impacts,
creating a situation more devastating than the sum of its parts (Google). I
know what you’re thinking – a fancy, but, helpful term for something we
have been going through all our lives, especially for those from LMICs.
Yuan
Ang (keynote speaker) echoed this and pushed back against this framing as ‘new’,
arguing that the ‘overwhelming disruptions’ are actually everyday realities for
many in LMICs, where we are not just reacting but are embedded in these
challenges. More on her brilliant keynote later.
Having
attended two WASH conferences during my PhD so far, getting the chance to
attend DSA in person was exhilarating! Possibly, as it was also my follicular
phase of menstrual cycle leading to increased estrogen increasing my clarity,
energy and anxiety! And, yes, I’m proposing that its not just our social
position that shapes our participation in international conferences, but also
our menstrual cycle phase, which is unique to every female body.
So,
I entered a conference about (poly)crisis with excitement/ enthusiasm 😊, also as a transdisciplinary
researcher (who is neither fully confident about engineering nor about
sociology – just somewhere in between!) but excited to share/ learn more about
my research/ ideas/ thoughts.
Unfortunately, I only got to know about DSA in March and it was already too late to submit abstracts. I was one of the floaters (yes, that’s an official term that was used!).
Getting to Bath, navigating confusion
My
(poly)crisis seemed to have begun right at the train station. Delayed buses,
misdirected stops, and hauling suitcases through a maze of buildings with no
lifts was exhausting, but also seemed to be a great way of connecting with
colleagues over chaos. People’s kindness (or lack thereof) is easily revealed
in such circumstances!
After
running from one bus stop to another outside the train station, there were four
of us who remained stranded and confused, and I proposed to take the three men
along with me in a uber – as my university is kind enough to let me claim this
back! It was jarring that a professor, a book publisher and a teacher – did not
have the same allowance as me. Sidenote gratitude to Water-WISER. I swear,
the more people I talk to about such logistics, the more I realize how lucky I
am to be here. Barbara is a rockstar for having thought of all of these for us
in advance!
Fate had more surprises. While grumbling about building layouts at the uni for about 30 mins, I realized quite late, that I was walking next to Prof. Naila Kabeer herself. Yes, the Naila Kabeer, whose work on agency and empowerment shaped how we talk about feminist development today.
I sheepishly introduced myself, thanked her for her contributions, asked and received a warm hug and a big smile. We ended up on the same floor of our university accommodation, exchanging tips on where to eat in Bath. For the rest of the conference, she wasn’t just a luminary - she was a fellow participant who waved at me or gave BIG smiles of acknowledgement each time we crossed paths, as if we were friends! That moment will stay with me forever <3.
With Prof. Naila Kabeer, somewhere between C and D block!
When networking also became
a caring space of affirmation
I
am, generally, someone who has a lot of gratitude and love, sometimes
overbearing. But, I don’t shy away from wearing my heart on my sleeve. I
remember expressing gratitude to a panel with senior UNICEF members at a
conference in UNC, USA last year. And, I was only met with a ‘yea, whatever!’
response. I’d imagine they’d be interested in what I did as a UNICEF consultant
too, but I felt they were not interested in talking to anyone below their
‘level’ perhaps. It was a recurrent feeling throughout the conference, with a
few exceptions. Barbara definitely being one exception, and I remember
introducing several of my Indian colleagues to her, or letting them know that
she’d love to speak to them! And, that’d spark something!
At
DSA, it was the complete opposite. Most of the ‘big dogs’ actually were
interested in listening to us, a lot of PhD students, about our research, our
experiences and thoughts. Some even thanked me for speaking to them! Like,
what!
For
instance, another example – my interaction with Diane Elson. The Diane Elson.
She is a towering figure in feminist economics who laid foundational ground by
critiquing economic models that ignored social reproduction, unpaid labour and
gendered power relations. If today, we speak about unpaid labour or looking at
empowerment beyond income – a lot can be credited to her decades of work.
We
spoke throughout the entire tea/coffee break and she was fully present. She
dint divert attention away from our conversation, dint seem like she was in a
hurry to leave especially considering that these breaks were the only time to
network/ chat, and instead asked more and more questions, created a space for
mutual reflection together – we spoke about joint bank accounts, digital
empowerment, etc. She also gave me a few references to studies and people I
could read about relevant for my work.
Me
with Prof. Diane Elson at the end of tea break!
Midnight research chats over chai
Similarly, I had a midnight conversation with Prof. Supriya Garikapati from UCD in the accommodation lounge. She had a long day already, but was super kind to invite Karan and me to a cup of tea (her special homemade tea masala that she brought along!). She asked me about my research, listened intently, and also asked me questions as an examiner to help me prepare well for next year! She also freely shared her thoughts after each keynote or panel, and created a space for conversations, despite us having a few contradicting views. She was also kind to reflect about her own journey of teaching and research, by being vulnerable at times too, sharing about her family, value systems and also invited me to her home for a puja next month welcoming me to stay back for the weekend whilst unabashedly reminding us of the cleaning duties that come along!! Needless to say, she was fire, and she was probably just being herself, but for a newbie in academia – she made me feel seen, heard and valued.
South African Paneer!
The
lounge also helped me connect to my first set of friends from South African
universities (University of Fort Hare). I bunked the last session of a day as
my brain was already overstimulated from decolonial thinking, academic activism
and challenging authoritarianism. I went to get a cup of peppermint tea in the
lounge, and asked to join the three-member group passionately chatting about
something else. They were all eating something delicious, and I couldn’t help
but ask about it as a foodie. To my surprise, Muna cooked paneer!! She grew up
with Indian friends all her life and this was apparently a common cuisine for
her! I obviously ate a portion of it and got connected to her colleagues
Philani and Fogget who are both from Zim (Zimbabwe). I showed off everything I
know about Africa now (from my WaterWISER friends – Mary, Grace and James –
about Kenya, Zim and Ghana) and managed to pleasantly surprise them, when they
enquired about how much I know, and IF I knew about Zimbabwe! We spent the next
hour getting to know about each others culture, geography, academic culture,
visa regulations, dreams of visiting each other’s countries, and about massive
Indian population in SA! Also, got to learn that Durban is pronounced as
‘Debban’ and NOT ‘DuRban’!
Friends from Univeristy of Fort Hare, South Africa
'Phir Bhi Dil hai Hindustani!' - Desi connections!
I
also made several valuable connections with scholars in maternal health,
nutrition, menstrual health, intersectionality, mixed methods, media studies,
etc., mostly from India, as we cultivate development dreams in an increasingly
authoritarian regime. A perfect way of getting out of our silos, and learning more
about each other’s works, challenges, and possibilities. Meanwhile, Neha (from
Mumbai) and Smriti (from Niyali, Odisha) have already welcomed me to the next
DSA in Dublin—and I couldn’t be more excited!
After
a passionate chat about RW politics and hope in India (with Karan, Smriti, Neha and
Rajendra ji)
I
was especially happy to meet with several scholars based in Hyderabad, my hometown.
I had never considered a career in academia before, as I wasn’t aware of
opportunities nearby, but I was pleasantly surprised to learn about new
academic institutions that are keen to explore/ expand into development - and I
am excited at the very prospect!
 |
| Happy Lunch chats on last day (with Prashanth, Punita, Richa, Karan) |
Amidst
it all, known faces offered a comforting space – thanks to Lata and Megan.
Prashanth too joined me on Friday and tried to listen as I bounced plenty of ideas/
rants and vents.
One
of my most cherished connections at the conference was with Karan, whom
I had only briefly met back in 2019 when he was still a student. Fast forward
to now - he’s a celebrated academic and serial publisher! :D
Throughout
the conference, Karan generously shared his insights into how academia
functions in India - something I had never seriously considered as a path until
his encouragement. Did you know that Indian academic institutions offer monetary
incentives for publishing papers? Depending on the institution and the journal
tier, scholars can earn anywhere from ₹5,000 to ₹15,00,000 (£50–£15,000) per
publication! These are the kinds of details you’d never think to Google, but
can make a huge difference when planning a return to Indian academia.
He
spent hours walking me through the possibilities: which Indian journals and
universities to consider, how to apply for positions, what it takes to start
and run your own centre, the realities of teaching, the joys and trials of
research, how to write op-eds, and how to translate networks into action. I’m
deeply grateful for his friendship and guidance.
 |
| Post-conference joyjumping in the Bathwick fields near campus! |
Finally,
From
menstrual cycles shaping my conference energy to the kindness of strangers and
scholars, this was a deeply feminist experience. DSA 2025 helped me find language
to articulate some of my thoughts, space to hold two complex/ conflicting
thoughts, new academic directions for post-PhD, affirmation that my research
work is exciting and importantly – a renewed vigour, conviction and courage –
thanks to the brilliant keynote speakers/ now role models! As Karan says, ‘a good PhD is a finished PhD!’.
I’ll
end with a quote that captured the heart of the conference:
“We
need to develop concepts and methods to illuminate complexity rather than
oversimplify or ignore.” – Prof. Yuen Yuen Ang
So,
here’s to understanding and unpacking complexity with care.
DM your e-mail ID for a full reading list and session-wise notes.
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