Welcome to Steppe Sisters
Steppe Sisters (founded 2017) is an international networking group dedicated to connecting women and underrepresented groups in academia, who conduct research in Central Asia (specifically CIS countries) and neighboring regions. We bridge boundaries and encourage cross-cultural exchange of ideas, resources, and support to encourage the professional advancement of women researchers.
Our remit is focused upon human science researchers, specifically, those who work in fields which investigate humans and their environment both today and in the past. This includes the disciplines of history, archaeology, anthropology, palaeoecology, archaeogenetics, and other related fields of human sciences. However, researchers from all other disciplines are also welcome.
News and information
New Constitution for UK Charity Status
Becoming a CIO requires that we adopt a new constitution, laying out the responsibilities of a Board of Trustees who will oversee the charity operations. We will present and vote on the new constitution at this year's Annual General Meeting on October 11. You can view the new version here: Steppe Sisters CIO Constitution Draft
2025 Annual General Meeting
We warmly invite all Steppe Sisters members to our 2025 Annual General Meeting on 11 October 2025 14:00 - 16:00 BST, hosted at King’s College, Cambridge, with the option to join online.
This is an important moment for our community to come together, share ideas, and help shape the future of our network. A key item on the agenda will be voting on a new version of our constitution, which will enable us to take the next step towards becoming a UK-registered charity.
2025 Annual Lecture: Dr Rebecca Roberts
We are delighted to invite you to the Steppe Sisters’ 2025 Annual Lecture, delivered by Dr Rebecca Roberts: What might an equitable research future look like in Central Asian Studies?
This lecture will address urgent and vital questions about the future of scholarship in our field: How can we create fairer, more collaborative research practices? What does equity mean in the context of Central Asian studies, and what steps can we take together to achieve it?
Join us online from anywhere in the world, or in person at King’s College, Cambridge, for an engaging and important conversation about the future of our discipline.
📅 11 October 2025, 17:00
📍 King’s College, Cambridge and Online
👉 To join online and find additional details: https://www.kings.cam.ac.uk/events/what-might-equitable-research-future-look-central-asian-studies-dr-rebecca-roberts-steppe
Summer 2025 Newsletter
The latest Steppe Sisters newsletter is here, featuring updates on our network, upcoming events, and opportunities to get involved. In this issue, we share:
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Updates about our progress to register as a charity
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News about upcoming events, including our AGM in October 2025 in Cambridge
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Fieldwork reports
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Funding calls and upcoming conferences
Who we are
Membership to our closed forums and discussion groups is limited to Steppe Sisters members only to provide opportunities for women*. Men who wish to support Steppe Sisters will be allowed to join as friends of the group to access our mailing list, website, and Twitter, and can contribute through offering training opportunities. Members of the public can interact with the group through our public Twitter profile and the webpage. Discussion is encouraged in the language of your choice. You can access our constitution here.
*Women encompasses all women, as based on gender identity or/and biological sex, and underrepresented groups, as well as those discriminated against based on their gender identity
Our aims are:
- To network to bridge cultural divides
- To support early-career women researchers
- To promote research by women in the past and present
- To advance equality, diversity and inclusion in academia
We support women-led professional academic development through:
- Providing online discussion forums for networking and communication
- Online and in-person training sessions, lectures and seminars
- Mentorships that link senior and early career scholars with students
- Small-Grant Programmes for early career researchers (supported by funding organizations)
Steering committee
Our steering committee leads and directs Steppe Sisters and is responsible for organising conferences, online events and acting as admins in our online community spaces.
Communications Team (Newsletter Editor)
Bioarchaeologist
US Natural Resources Conservation Service and University of Pittsburgh, US
Steering Committee Secretary
Archaeologist
Freie Universität Berlin/Berlin Graduate School of Ancient Studies
How to join
If you are interested in joining Steppe Sisters please visit us on social media to join the conversation! If you'd like to receive our biannual newsletter please fill in this form below.
hello@steppesisters.org