The Feminist Manuscript Award is awarded to a submitted Annual Program Meeting (APM) proposal that draws upon feminist and womanist theory, research methods, and/or educational and practice perspectives are welcome. With a clear focus and centering of the feminisms, including Womanist and Xicanism perspectives, topics may include:

  • innovative and effective social work practices and educational models

  • histories of women in social work practice and education

  • strategies to address intersecting identities (e.g., racial, ethnic, cultural, sexual orientation, class, age, disability)

  • efforts to increase the presence of underrepresented populations at all levels of social work education

  • application of feminist theories and methods to diverse populations

  • feminist-informed administration and leadership models

  • global contexts for women’s participation in social work practice, research, and education

  • professional commitments to social justice and equality for women

CSWE membership is an eligibility requirement for all commission and council awards. To check your membership status, or link your membership your social work program visit https://www.cswe.org/membership and click Link to Program/Join CSWE.

All applications for the professional Feminist Manuscript Award must be submitted online through the CSWE Submittable website. Those submitting a manuscript must choose between the Feminist Manuscript or the Violence Against Women and Children (VAWC) award; they cannot submit to both awards. Applications are accepted through Thursday, April 4, 2024, by 11:59 PM (ET)

A complete online submission for this award includes the following attachments:

  1. A blinded copy of the manuscript with all identifying information. Submit the manuscript as a Word document.

  2. A separate title page showing name, credentials, affiliation, and email address of all authors and identifying the corresponding author and their academic status.

The person or persons selected for this award are expected to present their paper at CSWE's APM. The award will be presented at the Feminist Breakfast during the APM.
 

2023 Feminist Manuscript Award Recipient

Sandra Leotti, PhD, MSW, is an assistant professor in the Division of Social Work at the University of Wyoming. Dr. Leotti's manuscript, "Failed Mothers, Risky Children: Carceral Protectionism and the Social Work Gaze," was selected for the 2023 Feminist Manuscript Award. Dr. Leotti’s scholarship has a central focus on social justice, feminisms, and critical social work. Propelled by a desire to understand and contribute to life-affirming responses to social issues affecting marginalized communities, her work is informed by over a decade of practice in the areas of youth development, mental health, and disability. Dr. Leotti's current research explores two overlapping areas: the role of social work in upholding systems of injustice, and the examination of contemporary issues related to the carceral state. She is particularly interested in how the profession can disrupt and resist carceral systems. Her scholarship seeks to promote community-based, non-carceral approaches to addressing harm and need while integrating a critical understanding of the carceral state and its impact into social work research, practice, and education. 

 

Previous Award Recipients