Philosophical Association of the Philippines -- World Philosophy Day Conference -- The Philippine Gender Turn

Staying true to its legacy of firsts, the Philosophical Association of the Philippines (PAP) staged a conference which was the first of its kind in Philippine philosophy circles three years ago. During its 2018 Midyear Conference themed “The Future of Feminism and Philosophy in the Philippines”, PAP devoted time to philosophers heavily involved in feminism and gender studies, and upheld the belief that Filipino thinkers (regardless of their SOGIE) should not only address the issue of national identity, but rather the issue of sex and gender as well. During the same conference, the inclusivity committee of the Union of Societies and Associations of Philosophy in the Philippines (USAPP) was also launched, staying true to the goal of embracing all people and philosophers irrespective of their sex, race, gender, disability, religion, culture, wherever they come from, and however they were raised.

With its partners, Ateneo de Davao University (ADDU), the Hypatia Diversity Project Grant, and De La Salle University-Southeast Asia Research Center and Hub (DLSU-SEARCH), the PAP continues its legacy of pioneering topics and activities in its World Philosophy Day Conference 2021 with the theme The Philippine Gender Turn. Working side by side with the ADDU Department of Philosophy, a center of interdisciplinarity in the Philippine South, the conference promises to be critical and informed, while unearthing complexities and questioning given assumptions. With the support of the Hypatia Diversity Project Grant (funded by Hypatia: A Journal of Feminist Philosophy), the conference also seeks to “serve underrepresented group/s in philosophy and/or otherwise promote diversity within the discipline”. In the spirit of interdisciplinarity and inclusivity, and veering away from the culture of cliques, the conference is open to anyone who would like to contribute and participate (philosopher or otherwise). It is a venue where diverse philosophical perspectives will be disseminated, and borders of philosophy will be further expanded through lectures, workshops, and mini research grants. Finally, with DLSU-SEARCH, the conference pledges to integrate activities that promote collaboration and networking with gender scholars and specialists in the Philippines, Southeast Asia, and the rest of the world.

The Philippine Gender Turn

Despite unfounded narratives that Filipino philosophers have neglected feminist and gender discourses, the mid-2010s ushered in a ‘gender turn’ in philosophical discourses in the Philippines. For example, the latter part of the present decade saw a substantial increase in the number of locally-produced journal articles, conference papers, and other types of academic discourses related to women’s issues, feminist philosophies, and gender studies, in general. The PAP has played a part in this ‘turn’, but this may also be attributed to various factors such as the change in the country’s cultural-political setting, socio-economic climate, educational shifts, and technological advancements.

Reviewing the history of gender-related philosophical discourses in the Philippines, it is evident that studies were borne out of concerns related to women’s issues with a bent towards political activism. Concerns about the representation of women, women’s oppression, and violence against women have been the core themes of the works of Filipino feminist writers like Mary John Mananzan, Delia Aguilar and Amaryllis Torres in the 1980s. As the global philosophy community moves towards broader gender-related issues in the 2000s, it is quite noticeable that philosophers and scholars in the Philippines have followed this trend as well. The global trend includes issues concerning the changing of gender contexts, the anthropocene, the pandemic, intersectionality, posthumanism, and the representation of other vulnerable sectors and minority groups. As such, this conference invites non-traditional conceptions of gender and feminist research in philosophy, and challenges typical binary oppositional thinking -while acknowledging the contributions of the real trailblazers who have paved the way for Philippine gender research as early as the 1930s.

On a global scale as well, philosophical research already broadens and refines feminist philosophy by incorprating interdisciplinary approaches to diverse forms of gender discourses, and focuses on interdisciplinary approaches in examining gender and the social construction of relationships among genders. The vision is to go beyond reformist ideals, and include everyone in these gender conversations.

Special Focus: Gender and the Anthropocene

Gender still remains to be often unspoken in discussions of the Anthropocene. Feminist perspectives should be considered in discourses on climate realities, sustainability, environmental ethics, conservation and other Anthropocenic questions. While Philippine gender discourses tackle various topics, the emphasis should move towards diverse voices on global ecological change.

Conference Theme: Gender-related Philosophical Discourses In The Philippines

• Gender and the anthropocene
• History of the feminist movement
• Pioneers of gender-related thought
• Remembrance and Resistance
• Inclusivity, Diversity, and Interdisciplinarity
• Feminist philosophy
• Gender-related discourses
• Issues concerning the changing of gender contexts
• Posthumanism
• Postfeminism
• Revolutionary Feminism
• Transnational and Third World Feminism
• Representation of vulnerable sectors and minority groups
• Other related themes

Conference Fee

• Local Participants = Php1,250 for non-PAP members; Php250 for PAP members and ADDU graduate and undergraduate students
• Foreign Participants = $25.00USD for non-PAP members; $10USD for PAP members

Registration

• Register through the link: https://forms.gle/rsJG5JZyQEquGCxGA
• For general inquiries: please contact: [email protected]
• For registration fee/ remittance inquiries, please contact: [email protected]

Important Dates

• Release of Call for Extended Abstracts: Aug. 16, 2021
• Deadline of Extended Abstracts: Sept. 16, 2021
• Release of Letters of Acceptance: Sept. 26, 2021
• Deadline of Full Paper: Oct. 16, 2021
• Deadline of Registration Fee: Oct. 16, 2021
• Conference Proper: November 17-19, 2021

Format of Extended Abstracts

• 500-1000 words
• Must contain the following: Executive Summary, Background of the Study, Statement of the Thesis, Framework/Methodology, Significance, Results, Discussion, Recommendations

Philippine Gender Trailblazer Mini Research Grants

(funded by the Hypatia Diversity Project Grant)

The 6 best full papers will be receiving mini research grants of up to Php25,000.

• 1 recipient of Php7,500
• 2 recipients of Php5,000
• 3 recipients of Php2,500

Criteria: Quality and Scholarship, Originality, Clarity and Conciseness, Dedication to Inclusivity and Diversity, Philosophical Contribution and Significance.

On top of participation and presentation during the World Philosophy Day Conference 2021, grant recipients will present their full final papers in a public virtual forum to be organized by the PAP and the Hypatia Diversity Project Grant in 2022.