2nd Global Conference Sexual and Gendered Violence
Sexual and gendered violence affects individuals, communities and societies alike. Present in all cultures and walks of life, it can ruin lives, destroy families, break trust and encumber economies. And yet, while the effects can be devastating, stories of resilience and empowerment exist.
Sexual violence broadly refers to any unwanted sexual acts, comments, or advances. It can include, but is not limited, to sexual harassment, sexual abuse, rape within a relationship or marriage, rape by a stranger or acquaintance, or childhood sexual abuse and may include coercion, manipulation, or force. Sexual violence can and does affect individuals of all ages, races, cultures, religions, and socio-economic statuses. It does not discriminate. It can and does affect people of varied genders, gender identities, and sexual orientations. In fact, according to the World Health Organization, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans individuals experience sexual violence at higher rates than cisgender heterosexual individuals.
Gendered violence broadly refers to any violence perpetrated on individuals or groups associated to normative understandings of one’s gender and may inflict physical, sexual, or mental harm. This can include sexual violence, but can also include domestic or interpersonal violence, forced marriage, child marriage, harmful traditional practices, sex-selective abortion, harassment, exploitation, trafficking, and discrimination among others.
The effects of both sexual and gendered violence can be profound. This type of violence may negatively affect an individual’s overall health and development and impact their risks for and resilience against psychological disorders and alcohol and drug use. Additional consequences of sexual and gendered violence may include injury, death, unwanted pregnancy, unsafe abortions, sexually transmitted infections (STI’s), depression, panic attacks, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), suicide attempts, fear, stigmatization, and isolation.
Our second interdisciplinary inclusive Sexual and Gendered Violence conference seeks to understand how sex, gender, and sexual orientation impact those experiencing and perpetrating violence. We aim to isolate, discuss and explore the main issues, pressing matters and recent developments in the field; to identify areas to be subsequently explored in further depth; to better understand how sex, gender, and sexual orientation impacts those experiencing and perpetrating violence; and to generate collaborative action that will lead to real, lasting change in the way sexual and gendered violence is perceived and approached in varied settings, and that will bring a useful contribution to the curbing of this phenomenon on a local and global scale. Discussions and engagements at the meeting will be considered for a possible selective publication with a view to enabling further research and collaboration.
We welcome any relevant and insightful contribution, from classic presentations to proposals for workshops, topics for debates, panels or round tables, brainstorming sessions for creating policy materials or research instruments, sharing of event-appropriate professional or personal experience, all the way to meaningful forms of artistic expression (film, poetry, photography exhibitions etc.)
Some of our suggested main issues to be approached include (but are not limited to):
Consequences of Sexual and Gendered Violence:
What is its impact on the individual?; What are the impacts on communities, relationships, society? Global trends; Sexual dysfunction; Systemic concerns; Economic toll; Physical and reproductive health impact; Mental health impact; PTSD; Vicarious trauma; Hyper-vigilance; Slut-shaming; Victim-blaming
Defining Sexual and Gendered Violence:
What is sexual and gendered violence? An understanding of the values and socio-political forces that define the problem; Cultural differences, meanings, and narratives; Personal narratives; Historical and literary perspectives; Sexual and gender violence and sex work; Sexual and gender violence in universities; Sexual and gendered violence in the military; Sexual and gendered violence in the workplace; Sexual and gendered violence and media; Consensual violence as sexual script; Sex trafficking; Child marriage; Female genital mutilation; Gender normalising surgeries on intersex children; Male genital cutting practices, male circumcision; Rape as a tactic of war; Covert sexual violence; Defining consent; Obtaining consent; Defining rape culture.
Defining Survivor:
What does it mean to be a survivor?; Victim versus survivor narratives; Populations affected; Marginalized populations; Hidden populations
Healing:
How does one heal from sexual and gendered violence? Trauma-informed best practices; Creating safety; Creating community; Thriving; Vicarious trauma on responders; Self-care.
Legal Concerns:
How do current laws help or hurt victims?; How do current laws help or hurt perpetrators? Sexual and gendered violence and the criminal justice system; Sexual and gendered violence and displaced persons, people seeking asylum, and refugees. Legal issues and sexual and gendered violence; Rights and responsibilities; Media representations and misrepresentations.
Perpetrators:
Who commits sexual and gendered violence?; Motives and motivations; Risk factors; Myths; What causes sexual violence?; How do institutional hierarchies like patriarchy or poverty contribute to the problem?; Dismantling rape culture.
Policy:
Current policies and programs and their impact; Proposed policies and programs and their impact; Failed policies and programs and their impact; Unmet needs; Trends; Policy analysis and outcomes
Prevention:
What can be done to prevent sexual and gendered violence? Best practices; Role of alcohol and drugs in prevention; Community efforts; Bystander intervention; Media Literacy; Sex education.
Social Media:
Technology, sexual and gendered violence: Online anonymity and its dangers; Stolen identity; The ‘lurking predator’; Slut-shaming; Victim blaming; Trolling; Harassment: Invasion of privacy; Revenge pornography; Receiving unsolicited sexts; The nude selfie as child pornography – case examples and prosecution alternatives; GPS and location based apps and the possibility of abuse; Stalking
This conference has a global focus; it aims to facilitate dialogue and spark innovative collaborations and discussions at the international level. We welcome papers and proposals from all disciplines, professions and vocations, going beyond the academic world and bringing together researchers, community, and professionals engaged in work on Sexual and Gendered Violence. We welcome traditional papers, panels and workshop proposals, as well as other forms of presentation platforms (art, poetry, posters, video submissions, etc.) favoured outside academia, given the interdisciplinary nature of the conference, recognising that different groups express themselves in various formats and mediums.