Feminism in the 21st Century: Privilege, Bias and Feminist Practice

Manchester Metropolitan University Institute of Humanities and Social Science Research present:

Feminism in the 21st Century: Privilege, Bias and Feminist Practice

Wednesday 5th March 2014 12 noon - 7.30pm

The Friends Meeting House
6 Mount Street, Manchester M2 5N

Timed to lead up to International Women’s Day, this one-day public forum will consider contemporary gender issues and persistent sexism. What does it mean to be a feminist in the 21st century and what are the new challenges facing women in an era marked by on-going global conflict and economic crisis? A panel of internationally renowned feminist thinkers will discuss the feminist now and the feminist future, alongside a day of networking opportunities and activities.

Questions under discussion will include:

• Given recent high profile debates in the media and via social networking, what is the possible future relationship between Trans*/feminists?
• What does the debate about intersectionality tell us about the state of feminism right now?
• Does the current worldwide scapegoating of the poor and working class have a particularly deleterious effect on women?
• Can new grass roots movements against austerity offer hope of positive change in gender issues?
• What are the connections and differences brought to light by recent media and legal attention to rape and sexual assault, both in the ‘bad old’ 70s and in the hyper-sexualised present of assaults posted to YouTube and ‘Everyday Sexism’?
• Does it still make any sense to speak of ‘post-feminism’, empowerment and sexual autonomy in the current context of commodification of sex and pornification of culture?

The day will be accompanied by an activists’ fair including:- Stalls featuring women’s groups and feminist activities- Women’s choir- Feminist artwork and film screenings

Timetable for the day:
Activist fair opens at 11am

12.00 – 1.30pm Panel One: ‘Objectification’

Dr Jules Holroyd (Nottingham)
Dr Anna Bergqvist (MMU)
Finn MacKay (Feminist activist)
1.30pm – 1.45pm – break

1.45pm – 3.15pm Panel Two: ‘Intersectionality’

Rhian E Jones (Feminist activist and blogger)
Caroline Bayliss Green (MMU)
Reni Eddo-Lodge (The Guardian, No Comment)

3.15 – 3.45pm – break

3.45pm – 5.45pm: Panel Three: ‘Post-feminism and silencing’

Dr Katherine Angel (Queen Mary, University of London)
Jinan Younis (Altrincham Girls Grammar Feminist Group)
Dr Ginette Carpenter (MMU)

5.45pm – 6.00pm – break

6.00pm: 'Generating Feminism': Plenary from Professor Iris van der Tuin (Utrecht)

7.00pm- 7.30pm: Discussion and closing remarks
7.30pm: Social evening (tbc)

This event is convened by members of the Institute’s research cluster on ‘21st Century Feminist Agendas’: Dr Ginette Carpenter, Dr Anna Bergqvist and PhD candidate in English Caroline Baylis-Green, and IHSSR Project Manager Helen Malarky

Please sign up to attend at www.c21feminism.eventbrite.com

If you would like to be involved in the activists’ fair, or for any other questions, please email [email protected]