Sheila Rao

Sheila Rao is an Adjunct Research Professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Carleton University. She holds a PhD in Anthropology from Carleton University and has conducted post-doctoral research at the University of Ottawa's School of International Development and Global Studies. Her work focuses on feminist political economy, agroecology, and social reproduction within international development contexts. Rao specializes in analyzing gendered labor dynamics in agri-food systems and communication technologies' role in organizational change.

Education: PhD in Anthropology (Carleton University), MES (York University), BES (York University).

Research Interests:

• Anthropology of development and collaborative ethnographic methods
• Feminist critiques of agricultural policies and food justice movements
• Gender analysis in biofortified crop projects (e.g., sweet potato in Tanzania)

Publications highlight critical examinations of gender equality in media funding, contested visions of agrarian change in Africa, and Canada's Feminist International Aid Policy implementation challenges. She collaborates with feminist and food justice organizations in Tanzania and the Ottawa Valley, emphasizing grassroots perspectives on nutritional health and social inequality.