Renée Giovarelli co-teaches the Legal Problems of Economic Development Seminar and has taught Women, Poverty and Natural Resource Management at UW Law.
For 30 years, professor Giovarelli has focused on the legal and sociological issues related to social inclusion and gender equity concerning land tenure policy and reform, land market development, land titling and registration, land taxation, farm reorganization, resettlement, economic development, poverty reduction, rural development, pasture management and land conflict resolution.
Professor Giovarelli’s work has helped to inform the core policy positions on issues related to access, use and control over land and land tenure security for women and other vulnerable groups of USAID, MCC, the World Bank, UNFAO and other development entities. This work has been critical in establishing, maintaining and enforcing women’s property rights and promoting related economic development and livelihoods options. Her gender and land experience shows that she has a demonstrated understanding of the differential rights, risk, needs, opportunities, knowledge, abilities and approaches that men and women apply in the use and conservation of land and other natural resources.
Professor Giovarelli has designed and conducted fieldwork on women and their access and rights to land in the Kyrgyz Republic, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Russia, India, China, Uganda, Ghana, Madagascar, Burkina Faso and Ethiopia.
Currently, professor Giovarelli serves as a Senior Gender Integration Specialist with the Global Center for Gender Equality. She was the founding Director of the Center for Women’s Land Rights at Landesa and served as its Executive Director from 2008-2013. She then co-founded and served as senior attorney advisor at the Center for Gender and Resource Equity from 2014–2023.
Professor Giovarelli earned her J.D. with honors from Seattle University and an LL.M. with honors in Sustainable International Development from the University of Washington School of Law. She also holds a B.A. from the University of Arizona and an M.F.A. from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Professor Giovarelli was honored as UW Law Sustainable International Development Professor of the Year for 2015–16.