The Gather research project aims at understanding to which extent and how the dimension of gender has been transferred within the HG research area and which have been the various obstacles preventing this process until today. Key questions are: How is the field of research on HG societies currently changing? How is the notion of gender appropriated by the various disciplines? What happens when feminist knowledges are being integrated into mainstream approaches?

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Although the knowledge acquired on HG societies sheds a light on the history of humankind and attempts to explain the diversity of human cultures (Ames 2004, Jordan and Cummings 2014), the marginalization of feminist knowledge still remains visible today (Sterling 2014). The HG field's rapid development and its increased media attention makes a gender perspective all the more important.

Indeed, knowledge on HG is rapidly expanding due to recent partnerships engaged between scholars, documentary filmmakers, science reporters and museums. Scholars have also investigated HG societies for addressing pressing issues related to the necessary adaptation of climate changes or epidemic issues such as obesity or diabetes among others. Employing a feminist perspective is therefore crucial to make significant progress related to health and the environment and to develop other narratives about the history of humanity.

The present research has three main aims:

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• To understand how the notion of gender has been traveling within the disciplines

• To produce a “cartography” of feminist contributions since 1960 in the HG field of research

• To identify the possible obstacles limiting the integration of feminist knowledges in multi/transdisciplinary research contexts

In this research, it is suggested that 1) methodological issues and 2) the organizational changing context currently affecting the disciplines boundaries play a major role in shaping knowledge produced on HG studies.

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Methodological issues such as data production in HG archaeology is strongly biased and directed towards reinforcing already prevailing discourses related to man-the-hunter hypothesis (Zurro 2006, 2011, Hierlehy 2015). The development of scientific knowledge depends on theories but also on complex instruments, techniques, research materials and testing practices. A better knowledge on such methodological challenges but also on androcentrism is here required.

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Equally important is the current transformation of higher education and research organizations, related to the new modes of management and funding. The internationalization of universities and research centers has affected scholars´ strategies for dealing with global competition. Multiple constraints and pressures can be observed today such as: changing governance structures, a decrease of public funding, gendered career asymmetries, and relegation of women to teaching activities, to mention only a few (Connell 2013). Such changes have direct impact on the traditional discipline boundaries as far as problem-focused multi and transdisciplinary teams are increasing. As feminist epistemologists already argued, the current transformation of the higher education system impacts the way knowledge is produced, who teaches and controls it and whose interests are served (Alvanoudi 2009, Lykke 2010).

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This opens the door for linking together concerns about methodologies and the changing organizational context to determine how knowledge production on HG is developing, how (or if) transdisciplinary dialogues between feminist knowledge and mainstream approaches are made possible and how scientists respond to such challenges.