Call for Papers: International conference “(Non) reproductive freedom. Experiences, theories, movements”

Venice, Italy
5-6th Dec 2019
Deadline: 20th Jun 2019

Department of Linguistics and Comparative Cultural Studies – Department of Economics Ca’ Foscari University of Venice

Within the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence Campaign promoted by the UN, the journal DEP. Deportate, esuli, profughe/DEP. Deportees, exiles, refugees is organising an international conference on the theme of women’s rights to reproductive freedom.
Control of women’s fertility has ancient origins, but it was only from the beginning of the 20th century, especially in Europe and the United States, that movements advocating birth control were born, the first birth control clinics were set up, new publications aimed at a wider public began to circulate, and dilemmas and ordeals that women were experiencing spread also through theatrical pieces and literary works. This activism came to a peak with the so-called “La grève des ventres” protest.
At that time, the assertion of the right to reproductive freedom intertwined with the suffrage movement, along with a radical criticism of medical science and its premises.
During the world wars and in the postwar eras, the increasingly repressive laws that prohibited birth control practices gave new impetus to the movements, which gave rise to the struggles and the achievements of the following decades.

The conference will be organised into the following thematic groups:

– women’s and feminists’ reflections on reproductive freedom on a wide time span, in various national contexts and disciplinary areas – philosophical, historical, legal, religious, literary;

– institutions and movements for birth control and sexual and reproductive freedom: activities and protagonists;

– communication strategies adopted by magazines, pamphlets, literary and artistic works;

– affirmation and development of women’s reproductive rights as fundamental human rights;

– current debate on reproductive technologies, surrogate maternity, child marriages, criminalisation of abortion, practices of selective abortion, and birth control policies.

Scientific committee:

Bruna Bianchi (Ca’ Foscari Venezia) bbianchi@unive.it
Rosa Caroli (Ca’ Foscari Venezia) caroli@unive.it
Sara De Vido (Ca’ Foscari Venezia) sara.devido@unive.it
Geraldine Ludbrook (Ca’ Foscari Venezia) ludbrook@unive.it

Conference languages: Italian/English

20 June 2019: deadline for proposals to be sent to depjournal@unive.it.
30 June 2019: notification of acceptance.
30 September 2019: deadline for long abstracts (3,000 characters).
Abstracts can be sent either in Italian or in English.

 

Download this announcement as .docx: C(Non) reproductive freedom. Experiences, theories, movements(1)