Closing Conference: Conflicts over Women’s and Gender Rights: Ambivalences and Contradictions

On 12 March 2022, Holly Patch and Thomas Hilder (Associate Professor an der Norwegian University of Science and Technology) will present on the topic "From Musical Asylum to Queer Choral Mobilization" at the closing conference (10-12 March 2022) of the Research Group Global Contestations of Women's and Gender Rights, led by the convenors PD Dr. Alexandra Scheele (Bielefeld University), Prof. Dr. Julia Roth (Bielefeld University), and Prof. Dr. Heidemarie Winkel (Bielefeld University).

In the academic year 2020/21, with more than 20 fellows from different disciplinary backgrounds, the Research Group analyzed the specific mechanisms and patterns of contestations over women’s and gender rights in diverse contexts across the globe. This included a theoretical reconsideration of the causes and structures of gender inequality, such as global capitalism, neoliberalism, nationalisms, authoritarian states or fundamentalist religions, and the reconceptualization of notions of equality in selected contexts and empirically-based reconfiguration of struggles for women’s and gender rights. That way, the inherent contentious nature of equality rights and the development of equality principles as a globally contested terrain came into view – taking the division of labor, citizenship and religion as empirical arenas.

In the closing conference the group wants to take a closer look at the central patterns and common – unifying – elements in the conflicts over gender rights, in order to better understand the mechanisms of contestation. Most notably, to address the ambivalences, contradictions and tensions between what has been achieved in the struggles for equality on the one hand and the current backlashes and attacks on the other hand. We start from the assumption that women’s and gender rights are claimed globally – despite or even because of women*’s vulnerability. We presume that the articulation of the right to equality is a central prerequisite of the present contestations in the various local conflicts and contexts.

The event will be held in a hybrid format. Please register in advance by contacting Marina Hoffmann and indicate if you wish to attend in person (spaces are limited and only possible under 2G+ rules) or online via Zoom.

E-Mail: marina.hoffmannuni-bielefeldde