More than 50 researchers from several European countries, Japan and USA joined the conference in the aim to advance thinking around citizenship and participation from a gender-aware perspective. The papers presented at the conference explored and analysed gender, citizenship and participation in East and West Europe through a number of case studies.

Professor Anne Phillips from the School of Economics and Political Science in United Kingdom discussed if there is a feminist angle on the civil society. She explained that in most countries the state is more thoroughly male dominated than the world of work, of education, of the professions. She argued that women both historically and today are caught within the family circumstances that they have experienced as confinement rather than haven, and denied access to most of the corridors of state power. Consequently, many women have looked to their involvement within housing associations, neighbourhood committees, campaign groups, and local branches of political parties as the main way of changing their own (and other people’s) lives. She says: “Civil society was hugely important to the development of nineteenth century feminism, which drew many of its activists from the philanthropic and reform associations that proliferated through the century and gave women their first experience of public life. Both historically and to-day, civil society could be said to be peculiarly important to the feminist project”. Hence she concluded that much of the activity in the civil society is highly gendered with some associations and activities that are predominantly male, and others that are predominantly female.

If you are interested in hearing more about the topic, do not hesitate to contact scientific communications consultant Ellen-Kristina Kristensen on telephone number +45 4674 3307 or mail ellenk@ruc.dk

Source web: http://www.cinefogo.org/workpackages/wp12/gender-citizenship-and-participation

Working papers are available to download from the CINEFOGO outcomes database: http://cinefogo.cuni.cz/index.php?&id_result=4023&l=0&w=16&id_event=27