From Invisibility to Mainstreaming? Women and Gender in the Association for Borderlands Studies

This article looks at ABS's evolution thus far with a women and gender lens. We ask: where do women appear in the evolution of the field, and to what extent have border scholars engaged with gender through conference participation and research paper titles that address women and men in the borderlands? We also examine whether the early invisibility of women during the founding period eventually led to the integration of women as leaders and researchers and to the mainstreaming of gender-focused scholarship on the gendered consequences of state policies. In addition, we explore how the ABS faced various crises over time and was sustained by the preparation and skill sets that a cross-section of its presidents brought to the organization.