WUNRN
THE FUTURE OF ASIAN FEMINISMS
CONFRONTING
FUNDAMENTALISMS, CONFLICT AND NEOLIBERALISM
SECOND CONFERENCE KARTINI NETWORK
BALI INDONESIA 2-5 November 2008
CALL FOR PAPERS
Kartini Network Co-ordinator Nursyahbani Katjasungkana
Conference theme and rationale
Following
the successful First Kartini Conference in Dalian, China, in 2004 this second Kartini
conference will discuss the future of Asian feminisms assessing past
experiences and charting new paths. One of the major foci will be successes or
failures of legal campaigns in specific contexts.
Most
Asian countries are affected by various forms of economic restructuring. These
processes are often played out on women’s bodies as a battleground. Cuts in
social spending affecting budgets on health and education due to processes of
liberalization and structural adjustment have important consequences for women
– both in relation to demands on their time, and in relation to their health
and educational levels. Massive waves of migration in the region expose
millions of women migrant workers to specific dangers, ranging from sexual
abuse to exploitation. In many countries the economic and social pressures,
coupled with resentment against what is perceived as the aggression of the US
give rise to various forms of fundamentalisms. Thus the region is characterized
by an unprecedented growth of fundamentalisms, increasing economic
insecurities, due to neo-liberal globalization and SAPs, as well as external
and internal conflicts, wars and other forms of aggression. These crises are
gendered and affect women in multiple ways. As a result most Asian countries are
recording an increase in sexual violence against women in the public and in the
private sphere, which is exacerbated by dominant gender regimes based on
specific forms of heteronormativity.
Participants
will be invited to present papers or poster presentation to the following
five panels:
1. Women’s and Gender Studies in Asia: Historical Perspective and Future
Challenges
The
experiences of institutionalisation of women’s and gender studies in Asia have
diverse origins and manifestations, depending on the specific local social and
academic environments. Such environments do affect the histories and politics
related to the institutionalisation of Women’s/Gender Studies, the
configurations of areas of concern, its disciplinary emphasis and its inter-disciplinary
ramifications as well as the extent to which the dialectical relationship
between the women’s movements and Women’s/Gender Studies is maintained and
fostered. These factors have implications for the mobilisation of resources and
the sustainability of Women’s/Gender Studies programmes. Key issues in such
environments are the role of women’s movements, and its relationship with the
state, education policy and the co-operation with partners.
Papers
will be invited that will discuss the role of women’s movements, and its
relationship with the state, education policy and the co-operation with
partners. Other issues to be discussed are the career trajectories of its
adherents, and the ‘beneficiaries’ of Women’s/Gender Studies programmes. Who
get in- or excluded? Whose experiences are considered valid for research and
analysis? Dependent on specific features of each country the choice of labels
such as ‘women’, ‘gender’ and ‘feminism’ is embedded in institutional politics
and has consequences on the configuration of this field of studies. Another
theme will be to provide an understanding of these experiences and a comparison
between them, to analyse structural similarities and differences that explain
the paths taken by each institution, including the tension between autonomy and
mainstreaming as strategies and the context that is shaping them. The
participants will also delineate and compare challenging issues for the future
and discuss how collaborative efforts may contribute to overcoming the challenges
indicated.
2. Fundamentalisms and Feminisms
For
the last decades it has become clear that religions have been used for
political and economic purposes. The rise of Islamic fundamentalism is a case
in point. Especially after the attacks on the World Trade Centre, global
attention has been focused on international terrorism linked to Islamic
fundamentalism. The world’s superpowers use this discourse to exercise their
political and economic control particularly over Islamic countries. This
discourse is interpreted as arrogance in many parts of the world and as a form
of ‘reverse’ political and economic fundamentalism. This has created a backlash
in the form of rising male-centric (Muslim and Hindu) fundamentalism which
presents itself as the challenge to the notion of the all-powerful
western, patriarchal Christian world. This process strengthens the growth of
identity politics based on religion and ethnicity while at the same time the
space in which women’s movements operate is reduced. This is not only caused by
a male chauvinist interpretation of Islam which stress male control over
women’s sexuality but also because of the poverty caused by the political and
economic developments associated with this process.
The
deconstruction of politicised religion is a scholarly undertaking as well as a
form of political activism that should be done both by political analysts and
by scholars of religious history as well as by feminist activists. In
Asia Islam, Buddhism, Confucianism, Hinduism and Christianity are among the
most important religions being practiced.. Various sects have also numerous
adherents, while in various regions much older forms of ‘nature-centered’ or
animistic religions are being practised. In all these traditions much gender
analysis needs to de done.
Papers
may address the following aspects:
Context/History/Text:
the emergence of specific fundamentalist movements and the crisis of
modernity, identifying the configuration of local and global political, social,
economic and other forces and the constituencies which sustain these
movements.
Feminisms
and Fundamentalisms: these two movements have
been posed as homogenous antinomies particularly given the fundamentalist
agenda to re-assert control over women’s bodies, minds and public spaces.
Strategies
and struggles against fundamentalisms intersect with questions
around citizenship, secularism and reform within religion.
3. Conflicts And Violence
The
continuum between violence against women in the home and in the community, with
forms of violence in society as well as with armed conflict, has been
identified as an area of critical importance by many feminist scholars. In
analysing conflict papers may address a multiplicity of sites: class, caste and
ethnicity based forms of conflict, present-day identity-based conflicts as well
as religious/communal/regional ones. The linkage between these and gendered
forms of violence is of key concern
The
area of sexual politics and violence against women have particularities in the
Asian context both on the national level as in the sphere of community and
family relations. Rape is a traumatizing event everywhere, but when it is
compounded by notions of honour and religious purity its after effects may be
worse. Issues such as domestic violence, including dowry death or marital rape
have to be elevated out of the culture of silence in which they are embedded
into the public discourse. Certain issues are relevant mainly in a particular
national context, others have more regional connotations, such as trafficking
in women and children. Silence masks hegemonic patriarchal power, hides
violence, creates consensus, constructs complicity. That which is not spoken
about can also not be contested.
Research
on the impact of conflicts on women, including violations of women’s rights and
brutal acts of violence committed against women during conflict in the Asian
region already exists in many cases. Papers are invited that address the
conceptual work that can embark on comparative analysis of the nature of
violence, its sources, impact of cultural and other differences and
similarities that bear out the patriarchal nature of war and conflict.
4. Sexuality
Within
the Asian region, issues related to sexuality have emerged in significant ways
in recent years. A number of regional and international developments – such as
the heightened attention of the media, gay and lesbian movements, struggles and
demands of sex workers and other marginalised sexual subjects, are all playing
a role in this new visibility. These are different from prior discourses
concerning the control of women’s bodies and desire and are posing new
challenges to women’s movements and Women’s/Gender Studies. Marginalised
and stigmatized groups have been brought center stage. As a result,
normative institutions for the regulation of sexuality have been questioned and
even destabilized. Tensions are arising between the growth of
fundamentalisms and globalisation on the one hand and the growing impact of
globalised discourses of sexual rights. Advocacy and campaigns on sexual
rights are increasingly gaining ground in Asia. There is a need for more
research to support those campaigns. Exchange of strategies and research
efforts at an all-Asian level will increase the impact of such efforts. Papers
should focus on legal and political campaigns, advocacy efforts and the
research underlying these.
Papers
may link the issue of the control and abuse of women’s sexuality with wider
processes of sexual violence, conflict and war and the erosion of livelihoods.
Or
they may address the simultaneous emergence of issues of sexual
visibility, demands for decriminalization of stigmatized sexual
practices, and the public acceptance of sexual rights.
5. Poverty, Vulnerability and Livelihoods
Everywhere
in Asia, women’s and men’s livelihoods today are affected by the introduction
of new technologies, trade policies and the emergence of new alliances and
interests seeking to secure a position in the world market. They respond
differently to agricultural intensification, massive resource extraction and
increasing industrialisation. The inter-relationship between gender, rural
transformations, natural resource use is defined by the ways in which the
changing divisions of labour, access to and control of resources, knowledge and
skills are organised among rural women and men. Rapid deterioration of natural
resources and various types of adaptations to increasing climate-related
changes have prompted women and men to migrate and seek employment elsewhere,
or to re-configure their livelihoods with little institutional support and thus
may find themselves in cycles of vulnerability and short-term resilience. Women
also usually find themselves in situations of vulnerability as they enter into
gender-segregated occupations, the terms of which they have very little control
over. Patterns of women’s vulnerability differ according to age, level of
education, marital coping status and ethnicity. Older and married women remain
in the countryside and have little access to male labour for agricultural
production and thus their households suffer the effects of food insecurity.
Younger women who move to urban areas are, in turn, absorbed by low-paid
factory work, sex work and domestic work almost under slave-like conditions,
particularly in commercial sex work or unpaid ‘sex/affective’ culturally
camouflaged under marital union but without its legal status.
Papers
may address the diversity of coping strategies for self-protection and
exploration of alternative livelihoods. This includes those involved in
sex work, as they are stigmatised, cannot effectively exit and continue to
engage in the sex industry for livelihood, although their position may change
from providing sexual service to other affiliated services.
A
major issue is to identify and to compare ways in which women can benefit
from “globalization” and in what ways this can be ensured.
The Kartini Network
Kartini,
the Asian – European Network for Women’s and Gender Studies, was founded in
2000. Kartini aims to promote women’s/gender studies in Asia, bringing together
academics and activists working in this field. It has a feminist perspective
focussing on the intersectionality of gender with other axes of difference
(caste, class, ethnicity and race) and promoting gender justice and economic
justice. It fosters cooperation between academics and activists i.e. between
women’s/gender studies, women’s movements and development organisations within
the Asian region and with a few selected strategic partners in non-Asian
countries. The Kartini network focuses on five themes: women’s studies,
fundamentalisms, sexuality, livelihood and conflict resolution. It sees these
themes as interlinked. Kartini aims to strengthen south-south cooperation,
including at the sub-regional level, building on the available regional
expertise, both within academia, research institutes and gender-based
NGO’s.
Structure of the conference
The
structure of the conference will be thus that participants will be enabled to
attend work of other panels than those in which they present themselves, so as
to maximize the forum for inter-Asian dialogue. Comparative papers will be
encouraged and the panels themselves will be set up in such a way that the
potential for comparative work is fully utilized.
Beside
formal paper and poster presentations roundtable discussions will be held;
films will be shown and other forms of presentations will be encouraged.
Activists will be specifically invited to discuss their advocacy plans. Themes
will prepare themselves beforehand through their own constituencies and in
agenda-setting preparatory meetings.
Other
networks will be invited to share their meetings with the conference, such as
the Sangat network. Themes will also hold events prior to or after the
conference, for their own activities.
Applications can be directed at kartiniasia@gmail.com / kartiniasia@yahoo.com
Email : www.kartini-asia.org
The application should contain a title, a short proposal of no more than
200 words and a short cv of the applicant(s) of no more than 200 words.
Fellowships are available for a limited number of Asian
researchers and activists based in Asia, on a competitive basis.
Subscription rate: US $ 175
Reduced rate (students, Asian activists and scholars based in
Asia) US $125
Deadline for submission: 1 July 2008
Notification of acceptance: 15 August 2008
Conference Organizing Team:
Nursyahbani
Katjasungkana, Indonesia (chair)
Ayesha
Banu, BanglaDesh
Kamla
Bhasin, India
Sepali
Kottogoda, Sri Lanka
Maznah
Binti Mohamad, Malaysia
Saskia
Wieringa. The Netherlands
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