EVILWOMEN2019

Call for Papers

The second meeting of the global inclusive interdisciplinary Evil Women: Women and Evil project will explore and examine all aspects of the conjunctions between women, the feminine and evil with a view to forming a selective publication to engender further collaboration, research and discussion.

On the one hand we will scrutinise what happens when women themselves behave in ways that are considered evil – when they rob, murder, manipulate, groom, abuse, beguile, embezzle. Women are not expected to behave in aberrant or illegal ways and we will consider the structural and systemic reasons for the heightened interest, repulsion, condemnation – and even hatred – that feminine transgression generates. Women are condemned not only for what they do but also for what they fail to do; those who harbour, lie for and couple with nefarious men are seen to have failed in their duty as gatekeepers of male morality. Where women themselves are accused of evil they are typically judged more harshly than their male counterparts. 

On the other hand we will also consider what happens when women speak out, act up and reject the beliefs, institutions and cultural practices that have traditionally defined and confined them, and explore the deeper meanings behind social, cultural and political responses to women who seize or challenge power. Women are perpetually circumscribed – defined, limited and controlled. Women who transgress the limitations placed upon them have faced discrimination or abuse, with sanctions ranging from minor disagreements to social isolation, physical violence and death. A recent campaign to feature Jane Austen on a UK bank note lead to its organiser receiving rape and death threats in such quantities that, in just one weekend, police collected enough individual threats to fill 300 A4 pages. 

What does all of this mean for women, the world they live in and the ways in which 'evil' can be understood and applied? We invite participants to explore evil women, women and evil from the full range of disciplinary, professional, practitioner, vocational, voluntary sector, NGO and other contexts and perspectives. The aim is to generate an inclusive dialogue which begin to illuminate the cases of individuals whose lives have been impacted by feminine 'evil'. Topics for discussion include, but are not restricted to: 

• Evil, Femininity, Women 
• When women do wrong; when women go wrong 
• Women, crime and punishment 
• Women, justice and the law 
• Women and madness 
• Women, art, music and creativity 
• Mothers, motherhood, matricide, infanticide 
• Wicked stepmothers, evil queens 
• Female myths and icons: Delilah, Lilith, Medea, Medusa, the Muse(s), Clytemnestra, Sirens, the Harpies, the Femme Fatale, the Bitch, the Temptress, the Seductress 
• Female iconoclasms; mythical iconoclasts; LBGTQI iconoclasms 
• Intersectional feminism, radical and otherwise 
• Civil Rights and social justice 
• Campaigners: Black Lives Matter, #timesup, #metoo, Mothers Against Murder, climate defenders, etc. 
• Women in literature, film, television, music 
• Social media: trolling, rape threats, death threats, pro-ana 
• Rape culture 
• True crime – the celebrification of misogynistic murderers, hybristophilia 
• Transnational/international attitudes to women and power 
• Victims and abusers 
• Women in business: the glass ceiling / leaky pipeline 
• Cultural and structural sexism in the police, healthcare, academia, politics, etc. 
• Bodies – FGM, cosmetic surgery, fat/skinny shaming, eating disorders 
• Sex and sexuality 
• Fashion 
• Women's suffrage 
• Grooming – sex rings, terrorism, male/female agency 
• Case studies 

We particularly welcome creative responses to the subject, such as poetry/prose, short film screenings/original drama, installations, and alternative presentation styles that engage the audience and foster debate. 

What to Send 

The aim of this inclusive interdisciplinary conference and collaborative networking event is to bring people together and encourage creative conversations in the context of a variety of formats: papers, seminars, workshops, storytelling, performances, poster presentations, panels, q&a's, round-tables etc. Please feel free to put forward proposals that you think will get the message across, in whatever form. 

300 word proposals for participation should be submitted by Friday 31st May 2019.

Other forms of participation should be discussed in advance with the Organising Chair.

All submissions will be minimally double reviewed, under anonymous (blind) conditions, by a global panel drawn from members of the Project Development Team and the Advisory Board. In practice our procedures usually entail that by the time a proposal is accepted, it will have been triple and quadruple reviewed.

You will be notified of the panel's decision by Friday 14th June 2019.

If your submission is accepted for the conference, a full draft of your contribution should be submitted by Friday 13th September 2019.

Abstracts and proposals may be in Word, PDF, RTF or Notepad formats with the following information and in this order: a) author(s), b) affiliation as you would like it to appear in the programme, c) email address, d) title of proposal, e) body of proposal, f) up to 10 keywords.

E-mails should be entitled: Evil Women Submission.

Where to Send

Abstracts should be submitted simultaneously to the Organising Chair and the Project Administrator: 

Dr Abby Bentham: abby@progressiveconnexions.net 

Project Administrator: pragueevilwomen@progressiveconnexions.net 

What's so Special About Progressive Connexions Events?

A fresh, friendly, dynamic format – at Progressive Connexions we are dedicated to breaking away from the stuffy, old-fashion conference formats, where endless presentations are read aloud off PowerPoints. We work to bring you an interactive format, where exchange of experience and information is alternated with captivating workshops, engaging debates and round tables, time set aside for getting to know each other and for discussing common future projects and initiatives, all in a warm, relaxed, egalitarian atmosphere.

A chance to network with international professionals – the beauty of our interdisciplinary events is that they bring together professionals from all over the world and from various fields of activity, all joined together by a shared passion. Not only will the exchange of experience, knowledge and stories be extremely valuable in itself, but we seek to create lasting, ever-growing communities around our projects, which will become a valuable resource for those belonging to them.

A chance to be part of constructing change – There is only one thing we love as much as promoting knowledge: promoting real, lasting social change by encouraging our participants to take collective action, under whichever form is most suited to their needs and expertise (policy proposals, measuring instruments, research projects, educational materials, etc.) We will support all such actions in the aftermath of the event as well, providing a platform for further discussions, advice from the experts on our Project Advisory Team and various other tools and intellectual resources, as needed.

An opportunity to discuss things that matter to you – Our events are not only about discussing how things work in the respective field, but also about how people work in that field – what are the struggles, problems and solutions professionals have found in their line of work, what are the areas where better communication among specialists is needed and how the interdisciplinary approach can help bridge those gaps and help provide answers to questions from specific areas of activity.

An unforgettable experience – When participating in a Progressive Connexions event, there is a good chance you will make some long-time friends. Our group sizes are intimate, our venues are comfortable and relaxing and our event locations are suited to the history and culture of the event.

Ethos 

Progressive Connexions believes it is a mark of personal courtesy and professional respect to your colleagues that all delegates should attend for the full duration of the meeting. If you are unable to make this commitment, please do not submit an abstract or proposal for presentation

Please note: Progressive Connexions is a not-for-profit network and we are not in a position to be able to assist with conference travel or subsistence, nor can we offer discounts off published rates and fees.