Call for Conference Papers- European Conference:

What is coalition? Reflections on the conditions of alliance formation with Judith Butler’s work

Date: 15 May 2012 with Prof. Judith Butler (UC Berkeley)
Venue: Institute for Gender Studies, Geneva University, Switzerland
 
Conception : Delphine Gardey (Geneva University) and Cynthia Kraus (Lausanne University)
Logistics: Aurélie Chrestian (University of Geneva), Julien Debonneville (University of Geneva) and Christel  Gumy (University of Lausanne)

In her groundbreaking book, Gender Trouble (1990), Judith Butler inaugurates and develops her critique of foundational reasoning – of identity categories such as (biological) sex, or of a transcendental subject such as “the woman” or even “women” (in the plural) – as a critique of identity politics in general, and of a women’s identity-based feminism in particular. For this reason, her antifoundationalism appears as a critical practice that seeks not only to rethink the political – along with genders, bodies, subjects and agency – in terms of performativity rather than of representation, but also, and most importantly, to theorize alternatives to identity politics in terms of coalition building. Since then, we can consider that Butler has insistently returned to the action-oriented question of “what is coalition?” and further elaborated on the conditions of possibility of alliance formation – at least, as much as on the conditions of subversion – in order to move effectively toward what she calls a “progressive” or “radical democratic politics.”

This one-day conference aims to reflect – historically, sociologically, philosophically – on the conditions of possibility, on the objects, means and purposes of alliance formation – between minorities, with the State, political parties, and other public actors, or between disciplines, or even across species (e.g. animal-human), etc. –, of political transformation, and thus of a collective agency, in both domestic and international contexts, through the concrete and generic question of “What is coalition?” – with special interest for the ways in which critical perspectives inspired from feminist and queer theory can be made into productive tools to theorize the political at various levels, at different times and locations, but also to intervene and do better democratic work. We encourage submissions from all research fields that present original material and engage, with creativity and precision, with both the theoretical and practical dimensions of the conference question with insights from – rather than directly on – Butler’s “political theory.”

European Conference Outline European Conference Outline 

Deadline for conference paper (including abstract) submission: 15 February 2012
Notification of acceptance by: 5 March 2012
Deadline for final conference papers: 15 April 2012

International Conference: Transforming Gender Orders

Intersections of Care, Family and Migration

18-20 January 2012

Goethe-University Frankfurt/Main Grüneburgplatz 1
60325 Frankfurt am Main

Campus Westend, Casino, Room 1.801

This conference takes up the controversies about the transformation of gender relations in the course of globalization processes and strives for a discussion from new perspectives. Drawing on the work of R. Connell gender orders refer to historically constructed patterns of power relations between men and women (not only as subjects, but also in the social arrangements of masculinity and femininity) which are mediated and institutionalized via distinctions and relations. We seek to analyze both the normative and symbolic aspects of these relations and the social and cultural codings and the spaces of action of relations between the genders and within one of the gender groups.

Please download a copy of the Tranforming Gender Order Conference programme.

Fighting Back

Tackling violence against women in Central America and South Africa

Friday 25th November - 10-3 (sandwich lunch provided)

Seminar Room 2 (Hugh Fraser), Wolfson Medical School Building, Glasgow University, G12 8QQ.

Join Mirta Kennedy, Director of the Honduran Women’s Studies

Centre, Hope Kasese, Acting National Coordinator for Women and

Law in Southern Africa and Marilyn Thomson, Chair of the Central American Women’s Network for a day of advocacy training and discussion.

To book a place email karen.hegyi@glasgow.ac.uk by 18 November

The European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) - call for applications

The European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) has launched a call for applications in connection with a number of cost free traineeships based here in Vilnius, Lithuania. EIGE would appreciate if you could bring to the attention of potential candidates the following link: http://www.eige.europa.eu/content/eige-2011-coftra-10

NoWomanNoPeace Workshop

Saturday 10th September 2011
2.00- 5.00pm

Quaker Meeting House
7, Victoria Terrace
Edinburgh
EH1 2JL

Register by September 5th by email: scottish wilpf

We suggest a voluntary donation of £4 to cover venue costs

The workshop will be hosted by WILPF Scotland with speakers from the GAPS network. The workshop will focus GAPS upcoming campaign action on Afghanistan, providing background information on the key issues, an overview of the

Making our Mark

An event for feminist campaigners
Thursday 15th Sept 2011, 6.00pm – 8.30pm

An evening of discussion for feminist campaigners, grassroots activists and politicians
We are pleased to say that our speaker will be Gudrun Jonsdottir. Gudrun works
with Stigamot, a leading Icelandic feminist organisation. She is the Icelandic national
expert to the EWL Observatory on violence against women and Chairperson for the
board of Skotturnar, an umbrella organisation for the Icelandic Women’s NGOs.

Download Making Your Mark flyer for further information.

Screen Debates

Tuesday, 13th September, 2011

The Women’s Support Project and Glasgow Film Theatre present
THE FIRST GLASGOW SCREENING OF ‘TRUST’ (Certificate 15)
14-year-old Annie (Liana Liberato) makes a new friend online - she thinks he
is a 16-year-old boy named Charlie. Even though her parents (Clive Owen and
Catherine Keener) think their daughter spends too much time chatting
online, it seems like a harmless connection, sharing volleyball tips in a chat
room. Annie agrees to meet him in person, and he is not who he claims to be.
What follows results in events so traumatic that it forever changes the lives
of the entire family.

The director, David Schwimmer, has been committed to anti-violence
advocacy for women for over 14 years. He made this film to raise awareness
of child sexual abuse and exploitation, to promote discussion and highlight
the impact on the whole family. He has especially focused on the father’s
reactions. Following the screening there will be an audience/panel
discussion and we are delighted to welcome to the panel, Karen Boyle,
Lecturer Film & TV Studies, University of Glasgow, Chief Inspector Graham
Goulden, Violence Reduction Unit and Liz Grattan, Team Leader, Family
Support Project.

Further information can be obtained by downloading the Screen debate flyer

Masculinity Studies: An Interdisciplinary Workshop
20 September 2011, University of Warwick

Call for Papers

The purpose of this workshop is to bring together scholars from across the Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences in order to explore how issues of masculinity have informed their research. It aims to highlight the importance of masculinity as a category of analysis, and to provide postgraduates, postdoctoral researchers, and academic staff with an interdisciplinary forum through which to discuss their particular research interests, methodology, and to reflect on future directions for masculinity studies.

Participants will be invited to deliver a short paper discussing their research. The workshop is interdisciplinary, and therefore papers from any academic discipline are welcomed. Postgraduate and early career researchers are especially encouraged to apply. If you would like to participate, please email a proposal and a brief CV by 9 August 2011 to: S.A.Lussana@warwick.ac.uk

Organiser: Dr Sergio Lussana, Early Career Fellow, Institute of Advanced Study, University of Warwick

Scottish Women’s Aid’s Annual Conference

Wednesday 14 September 2011 in Edinburgh.

The theme is Focus on the Future: Working towards a world without domestic abuse.

We have a marvelous line-up of knowledgeable and inspiring speakers and facilitators who will explore what a society without domestic abuse would look like - and how we can make it a reality using the resources and tools available right now.

Keynote speakers will include Nicola Sturgeon MSP, Wiveca Holst from the European Women’s Lobby and Gudrun Jonsdottir from Stigamot in Iceland.

The programme and Scottish Women’s Aid’s Annual Conference – please forward it to colleagues who may be interested.

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY

3 March 2011 at 5.30pm (for 6pm start) in
Yudowitz Seminar Room, Wolfson Medical Building. 

The Equality and Diversity Unit and Senior Women @ Glasgow network invite you to join them for this year's International Women's Day lecture, which will be given by Ali Jarvis (SFC Board member current chair of the SFC Access and Inclusion Committee). Ali will address us on the subject of Women and Change.   Ali is a freelance consultant and coach specialising in leadership, strategic change management and equality with organisations in the public, private and non-profit sectors. Until 2007 Ali was Chief Executive of the Commission for Racial Equality, and prior to that Director of Stonewall Scotland. She was directly engaged with the process of developing the UK Equality and Human Rights Commission in the four years leading up to its opening in 2007 and has been involved in many other cross-Equalities Groups and initiatives in the UK and internationally to ensure that joined up approaches are used to advance a fairer society. Her lecture will be followed by a wine reception. 

RSVP to the Equality and Diversity Unit (equality@gla.ac.uk, ext. 1887) by the 28 February 2011. Spaces are limited, so please respond promptly if you wish to attend.

Symposium for Gendered Violence and Intersectionality

Final chance to register for the symposium on Gendered Violence and Intersectionality taking place at :

Roehampton University
Wednesday 26th January 2011, from 1.45pm - 6pm.

The speakers will be:

Professor Renée Römkens (Victimology INTERVICT International Victimology Institute, Tilburg, Tilburg University Law School) Intersectionality under pressure: VAW as subject of gender-neutralization and culturalisation

Professor Gill Hague (University of Bristol) Reflections on Intersectionality and violence against women in practical and activist context across the world: a transcendent journey

Pragna Patel (Southall Black Sisters) Shrinking Secular Spaces: Asian women at the intersect of race, religion and gender

Gita Sahgal (Journalist and former Head of Amnesty International’s Gender Unit) Unlikely Allies: The use and abuse of discourses on gendered violence and intersectionality

Dr. Sharon Cowan (University of Edinburgh) Crossing Borders, Inhabiting Spaces: The (In) Credibility of Sexual Violence in Asylum Appeals

The discussants will be Dr. Miranda Horvath (Middlesex University) and Dr. Geetanjali Gangoli (University of Bristol)

As places are limited, please let us know if you wish to attend. 

Please use the following link to download further information about the Symposium for Gendered Violence and Intersectionality

Please RSVP to Julia.Noyce@roehampton.ac.uk<mailto:Julia.Noyce@roehampton.ac.uk>

Zero Tolerance on Domestic Violence: Towards a Comprehensive EU-Wide Strategy

The Silken Berlaymont Hotel, Brussels
Thursday 3rd March 2011

KEY SPEAKER:  Ms. Ingrid Todino
DAPHNE Programme Co-ordinator, European Commission

In the European Union, domestic violence against women remains an alarming phenomenon, and the most consistent and pervasive human rights violation across the continent.

This timely International Symposium renews the debate on how to work towards an EU-wide strategy on domestic violence. It will provide a platform for the discussion of a better European regulatory framework aimed at strengthening the 3 P's – prevention, protection and prosecution.

For further details, please refer to the enclosed event abstract and programme. Do feel free to circulate this information to relevant colleagues within your organisation.

In the meantime, to ensure your organisation is represented, please complete and return the Registration Form at your earliest convenience in order to secure your delegate place(s).

Please use the following link to download further information about the Tackling Domestic Violence in Europe Symposium

Seminar: Girls growing out of war: former female child soldiers in Northern Uganda

Rosemary Nyirumbe, Director of the Women’s Tailoring Centre in Gulu, Northern Uganda.

Thursday 4th November 6pm.
Room 718, Adam Smith Building,
40 Bute Gardens, University of Glasgow, G12 8RT

Since 1986, a civil war has raged between the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebels and the Ugandan armed forces. It is estimated that more than 25,000 young children have been abducted during the conflict- to join the rebels - and subjected to years of physical and sexual abuse as soldiers and “wives.” 

Rosemary is the Director of The Women’s Tailoring Centre, which provides a safe environment to help hundreds of formerly abducted female child soldiers recover, and provides vocational training to help them gain the skills and confidence to earn a living.

She has been awarded the CNN Heroes award for her outstanding work- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4j3kLa4k9l0

Document 8 International Human Rights Film Festival:

Wednesday 27th October

Politics have been working in collaboration with Document International Human Rights Film Festival 8 (taking place at the CCA, Sauchiehall Street, 26-31 October) organising a student forum, which takes place on Wednesday 27th October. The Forum is a day long event comprising screenings, talks and workshops with activists, filmmakers, practitioners, academics and students from universities across Glasgow and Scotland working on human rights on the theme of 'Witnessing Human Rights'. This particular event is free to students, but is ticketed as places are limited. If you would like further information or to reserve a ticket, please contact Dr. Vikki Turbine at Vikki.Turbine@glasgow.ac.uk by Friday 22nd October. Further details on the range of events taking place as part of the fesitval as a whole along with entry fees can be found at www.documentfilmfestival.org

Women's Rights in the Context of the War on Terror

Gita Sahgal will use clips of her films on secular spaces, and war crimes -   made during the Rushdie affair -   to show how British domestic politics have shaped anti-terrorism strategies. She will discuss how apparently opposing political forces converged to embrace Fundamentalists and attack the universality of human rights.

Clips from Struggle or Submission Bandung File , Channel 4 and Hullaballoo over Satanic Verses.

WOMEN’S WORLDS 2011- ANSWER THE CALL.

Are you engaged in research and/or advocacy relating to women's equality, women's rights, women's empowerment?

Then you should know about Women's Worlds 2011, a place where we can all connect and converse. The conversation includes you.

The 30th anniversary of this international and interdisciplinary global feminist conference will take place in Ottawa-Gatineau, Canada from 3-7 July of 2011.

Until October 11, 2010, we are accepting proposals from academia, the community level, and everywhere in between -- groups, individuals, coalitions, networks, teams.

 We hope you will ANSWER THE CALL.

This event will bring together academics, advocates, researchers, policy-makers, workers, activists, and artists of all ages from around the world under the theme "Inclusions, exclusions, and seclusions: Living in a globalized world".

For more information: info@womensworlds.ca

Glasgow Women's Library Auction of Pleasures

Friday 17 September, at St Andrew's in the Square. 

The event is The Auction of Pleasures and is a dinner and auction with some great entertainment, delicious food and lovely people.  We also have a fantastic list of auction items which can be viewed here: http://www.womenslibrary.org.uk/tag/auction-items/  The list goes over 3 pages, so make sure you don't miss anything!
 
We really want to make this most of this opportunity to raise as much as possible for the refurbishment of our new home at The Mitchell Library, and where the donors and supporters have been fantastic when it comes to the auction items, we have unfortunately been let down when it comes to bookings and have had a few cancellations.  It would be a real shame for all the team that have been working towards this event if we don't fill the venue.  The ticket price of £45 (£40 if people book a table of 10) includes a glass of bubbles on arrival, a choice of canapés to start, a gorgeous main course (with fantastic vege option), dessert, coffee and wine.  We are not making a profit on this side of things, just covering catering and venue costs, as we want the auction to be our main fundraiser - and with a list of items that includes work from Turner Prize nominated artists, once in a lifetime experiences, meeting some real women icons in the arts field, and so much more, the items really speak for themselves.  We have a great line up of entertainment on the night, including performances by The Scottish Flute Trio, Cinnamon Girls, and the sell out artist Terry Neason!

We would love it if you were able to attend the event, but if not could you please forward this information round your networks, to friends, family, colleagues, anyone who might be interested and would be in Glasgow on Friday 17 September, even though I know it is last minute it would be great if we could raise the numbers to fill the hall. 

You can find information here, along with an online booking and payment system:http://www.womenslibrary.org.uk/supportgwl/auction/

Call for papers: International Colloquium WWW. World Wide Woman

Date and place of colloquium: February 10-12, 2011 in Turin (Italy). 
Globalization, genders and languages

The conference, organised by the Research Centre for Women’s and Gender Studies (CIRSDe) at the University of Turin (Italy), aims to promote cultural exchanges among researchers interested in the gender perspectives in their work. At the same time, it’s an occasion to relaunch the debate on how Women’s and Gender studies can be integrated into traditional academic approaches. 
The topics we intend to discuss are: globalization, cultural exchanges, transculturality, migrations, languages, economic development and the decline in importance of national boundaries. It will be necessary to adopt a gender perspective and an interdisciplinary approach in discussing these subjects.

Please click on the link below to check the call for contributions:

The following languages are welcome: Italian, French and English.

Please feel free to forward the call for papers to other institutions or persons interested in these topics.

For more details, please contact us at cirsde@unito.it

Making Power Work for Women: an International Conference with The Active Learning Centre

Conference Invitation

22 March, 09.45-16.00
Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC)
333 Woodlands Road, Glasgow

The Active Learning Centre invites you to attend its international conference on 22 March. The conference will highlight the worldwide debate on women and power, with speakers from Rwanda, India, Malawi, and Scotland.

Conference registration fee: £5 concession: £25 waged: payment to ‘The Active Learning Centre’ – see attached Conference Registration form.

A full programme will be circulated shortly but please register your attendance NOW by e-mail to theactivelearningcentre@yahoo.com – please inform us of any special needs (venue is wheelchair accessible).

Minding the Gap: Overcoming Gender Inequalities in the European Labour Market

Tuesday 30th March 2010 at The Renaissance Hotel, Brussels.

With the recent announcement that the European Commission will renew its commitment in 2010 to promoting gender equality by adopting a gender equality strategy, this special International Symposium provides a timely opportunity for practitioners and stakeholders across the EU to discuss the next steps for the Roadmap for equality between women and men in the workplace and European labour market.

The Centre for Parliamentary Studies welcomes the participation of all key partners, responsible authorities and stakeholders. The Symposium will support the exchange of ideas and encourage delegates to engage in thought-provoking topical debate.

For further details, please see the Abstract and Programme or visit our website. Do feel free to circulate this information to relevant colleagues within your organisation.

In the meantime, should you/your colleagues wish to attend, please complete and return the Registration Form at your earliest convenience in order to secure your delegate place(s).

Feminist Friday

Sexualized and objectifying images of women in so called 'lads mags' are becoming more and more available in today's society. Despite industry guidance, retailers such as WHSmith often display these magazines at eye level alongside other magazines. These images are offensive to women and demean our place in society, sending negative messages about our sexual availability, and our physical worth.

 As part of the 16 days of action to end violence against women, NUS Scotland Women's Campaign is organising a 'Feminist Friday' in Glasgow on Friday 27th November, to show our objection to these magazines, and the way that they are displayed in newsagents, and we would like you to join us.

 We will be meeting at 4:30pm at the steps at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall for a short briefing. Materials will be available for you to design your own paper bags to cover up the sexist magazines with, and placards to hold up outside the shop. We will also bring leaflets and a petition. We will then proceed to hold our protest first at WHSmiths, Queen Street Station, before moving on to WHSmiths at Central Station.

 To find out more about the arguments against Lads Mags, and to get your own campaigning ideas, please follow the below link. http://www.object.org.uk/files/Feminist%20Fridays%20Action%20Pack(7).pdf

 Please feel free to design and bring your own paper bags or envelopes and placards, and bring feminist friends family and colleagues along with you. It would be helpful to have an idea of numbers in advance.

Call for papers: The 2010 International Conference on Queer Diaspora

The First International Conference on Queer Diaspora, initiated and organized by the Division of Women's Gender Studies at the Population and Gender Studies Center, National Taiwan University, will take place in Taipei (Taiwan), June 11-12, 2010.