Virginia Caputo

Virginia Caputo is an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Carleton University, and Director of the Landon Pearson Resource Centre for the Study of Childhood and Children’s Rights. She holds a Ph.D. in Social Anthropology from York University (1996), supported by a SSHRCC doctoral fellowship. Her research examines gendered childhoods, girlhood studies, and children’s rights through an interdisciplinary lens combining feminism, anthropology, and critical childhood studies. She has led initiatives such as directing the Pauline Jewett Institute of Women’s and Gender Studies (2005–2009), which developed transnational feminism and globalization programs.

Research Interests:

• Intersection of global gender dynamics and children’s lived experiences
• Advocacy models like 'Shaking the Movers' for youth inclusion
• Rights-based approaches to child protection and disability in early childhood contexts

Current Projects: SSHRC-funded research on children’s participation in child protection systems and disability in early childhood contexts (PI: Kathryn Underwood). She is also managing editor of the Canadian Journal of Children’s Rights.

Awards:

• Swedish Institute’s Council of Europe scholarship
• Sir Ernest MacMillan research award
• Recipient of SSHRCC grants for multiple projects

Grants & Collaborations: Works with the International & Canadian Child Rights Partnership and has contributed to global initiatives like the Too Young to Wed project. Her work emphasizes ethnographic methods and policy engagement.

Labs/Teams: Leads the Landon Pearson Centre and collaborates with the Pauline Jewett Institute, fostering interdisciplinary research on children’s rights and gender studies.