Oñati International Institute for the Sociology of Law Oñati, 10 – 12 July 2013

Call for papers Deadline 4th March 2013

Papers Deadline 10th June 2013

The congress will be hosted by the International Institute for Sociology of Law, which is located in Oñati, Spain. Sessions will be held in both English and Spanish, with simultaneous translation provided for the final keynote speaker session. This congress is aimed at examining the main conceptual frameworks for thinking about gender violence. We invite participants to consider how useful the concept of gender violence is for tackling violence against women. We also particularly encourage papers that will examine the intersections of gender violence with other determinants of inequalities. Papers are invited from researchers working in the area of gender violence, as well as policy makers, practitioners and activists. We feel that this interdisciplinary may help to produce new conceptualisations of gender violence. The topic of gender violence is especially relevant to Spain and the Basque country. Spain has been a relative latecomer to legislation to address gender violence, although is now attempting to a take a lead in Europe. In Spain, violence against women is seen to be a problem of gender violence. The decision to use the concept of gender rather than domestic violence was based on the recognition that violence against women arises from gender inequalities that extend outside of the domestic sphere, and are connected to patriarchy. However, this definition has also been criticised for only conceptualising violence with intimate partnerships, and excluding other types of violence such as sexual harassment, rape, trafficking of women etc. The definition also does not recognise the intersectionality of violence with race, ethnicity, sexuality, disability and other structural determinants of inequality. For instance, Amnesty International has argued that undocumented migrant women in Spain who have been the victims of violence have not been able to access services provided to other victims. In addition, despite the provision of considerable funding to tackle the problem, gender violence appears to be a growing problem in Spain, and it is becoming clear that legislation reform alone is not sufficient to address the problem. Clearly these problems are not limited to Spain, and we invite different international examples and comparative perspectives. Congress themes This congress is aimed at examining existing and producing new conceptual frameworks for thinking about gender violence. It is proposed to have sessions on: New theoretical models of gender violence: questioning the primacy of gender inequality The persistence of gender violence as a gendered phenomenon The intersection of gender, race and ethnicity Giving voice of marginalised women: disabled women’s experiences of violence Debunking stereotypes of battered women: intersections of gender and class Sexuality and violence

ORGANISATION COMMITTEE: Angela Melville (International Institute for the Sociology of Law) Ana Isabel Pérez Machio (Instituto Vasco de Criminología. Universidad del País Vasco) Arantza Campos (UPV/EHU) David Gadd (Manchester University School of Law)

For further information: IISL (Meetings) Antigua Universidad Apartado 28 20560 Oñati (Gipuzkoa) – Spain Tel.: +34 943 71 88 89 Fax: +34 943 78 31 47 E-Mail: malen@iisj.es

See also the Congress website.