2nd Annual Conference

of the COST ACTION CA20137

https://gendervoices.eu/

This conference is a two parts international conference:

The first part will take place on the 

15-16 February 2024

at Mediterranean University of Albania,Tirana, Albania

https://www.umsh.edu.al/

Women and especially women in precarious working conditions are at greater risk of experiencing sexual harassment and gender-based violence during their research career. Moreover, compounding factors, such as mobility, precarious contracts, unequal relationships of power, increase the probability of sexual violence and harrasment and make PhD candidates and postdocs high-risk categories. LGBTI people can also experience harassment and discrimination in higher education.

On 8 March 2022, the European Commission adopted a new EU-wide proposal for a directive to combat violence against women and domestic violence. “Combating them is part of the European Commission’s action to protect the core EU values and to ensure that the EU Charter on Fundamental Rights is upheld”. If the text recognizes that the Member States have to take into account national specificities and needs, they have to implement its rules.

The directive does not target higher education. But preventive work to eradicate gender-based violence is observed on the ground, led by feminist researchers, administrative staff, unions and student associations that implement measures. Through this conference we will share and examine those measures in order to bring about best practices to tackle gender-based violence, especially at an early career stage. An important part of sexual violence policies consider preventive actions that aim at raising-awareness on the legal framework surrounding sexual violence but also at challenging gender stereotypes and “rape culture” in academia (Buchwald et al. 1993). The aim of the conference is to contribute to changing institutional culture in order to establish universities as safe places.

VOICES

 Drawing on such good practices, the COST ACTION CA20137 Making Young Researchers' Voices Heard for Gender Equality (VOICES)is tasked with increasing the visibility of inequalities faced by young researchers, with emphasis on a gender perspective; and promoting a sustainable dialogue between young researchers and stakeholders in the research ecosystem at the systemic level (European & national policymakers) and at the institutional level (senior researchers, academic managers) by creating a community of gender equality practitioners composed of various stakeholders (young researchers, independent researchers, academic managers, organisations) across Europe. The Action has among its outcomes: training schools for young researchers, scientific publications by young researchers, recommendations and guidelines for academics and policymakers.   

The conference is organised by the Working Group 4, “Sexual Harassment, Gender-Based Violence and Institutional Culture,” of the VOICES Project.

The conference is organised by the Working Group 4, “Sexual Harassment, Gender-Based Violence and Institutional Culture,” of the VOICES Project.

CALL FOR PAPERS

The main topic of the conference is to discuss discrimination and gender-based violence in higher education and how cultural change can be driven. Thematic areas that, nonetheless, the conference sessions with specifically and critically engage with will include within 4 main sections:

(1) Policies and public regulations

• Implementation in Universities of national and european policies against gender-based violence

• ITC countries’ policies for gender-based violence in higher education

• Resistance, difficulties, conflicts of interests 

• Policy recommendations to raise voices, break the silence

• How to change institutional culture

(2) Dedicated resources and practical implementation

• The role of different actors (institutions, young researchers, students and NGOs) in tackling gender-based violence and sexual harassment, #metoo movement and changing cultural context

• Measures against gender-based violence, including sexual harassment (reporting violence, supporting victims, pursuing perpetrators)

• Tool boxes and guides

• Perpetrators and institutional responses

(3) Data collection and monitoring

• Recent Research at the EU level (UniSafe, etc), surveys, experiments, case studies

• Gender-based violence in Higher Education: specificities, risk factors

• Measuring Gender-based violence in Higher Education. Data collection issues (methodological, epistemological and political)

• Cultural basis of gender-based violence and specific needs

(4) Preventing, training & capacity building

• Perspective of young researchers on the issue: Training and proposals

•  Early career researchers’ voices in universities to fight against sexual harassment and gender based violence 

• Intersectional dimensions: thinking the increasing risks for vulnerable persons and minorities, precariousness and risk exposure at personal and structural levels 

• Training programmes 

ABSTRACT SUBMISSION

Abstracts are invited fromresearchers and stakeholders to present works-in-progress or published papers, posters or other audio-visual presentations that stimulate discussion and debate and help discern and gauge trends, challenges and policies impacting young researchers, their futures; and related intersections with the present and the future of research and innovation. Interdisciplinary and intersectional approaches and perspectives are strongly encouraged.

The VOICES network will consider papers accepted for this conference for open access publication in one of the forthcoming scientific publications of this Action.

Abstract of 300 words need to include,with 3-4 keywords and details of the author/s that specify affiliation, engagement/employment status in this affiliationand designation.

Please choose the main topic which you want to do your presentation (Policies and public regulations ; Dedicated Resources and practical implementation; Data collection and monitoring; Preventing, Training capacity building).

Kindly submit your abstracts via this "new submission" section on this website.

Only submissions made through the website will be considered for selection.

Criteria for selection include:

(1) In line with the topic of the conference

(2) Contribution towards policy

(3) Interdisciplinarity & intersectional approach is a plus

(4) Contributions from ITC countries will be welcomed 

The scientific committee is tasked with selecting abstracts that show evidence of excellence whilst securing participation of researchers at diverse stages of their careers, with attention to the inclusion of young researchers, COST inclusiveness target countries, and researchers with minority and intersectional backgrounds.

No registration fees are applicable.

Publication opportunities:

Selected papers will be published in a collective academic book in open access or supported to be published in academic journals with open access.

KEY DATES

Key dates for the first part:

 Final date to submit abstracts: 31 December 2023 07 January 2024

  Communication of decision on abstract submission: 10 January 2024

Conference dates: 15-16 February 2024

All queries should be addressed to: annualmeeting2024@gendervoices.eu  

CONVENORS

Prof. Anne-Sophie Godfroy, Ecole Normale Supérieure, CNRS & Collège de France - PSL, VOICES Action Chair, President of the Scientific Committee

Prof. Philippe Liotard, Lyon 1 University & Chair of CPED, WG4 Leader

Dr. Gilda Hoxha, Faculty of Law and Human Sciences, Mediterranean University of Tirana, Albania