Two important Festival of Ideas events are taking place in April and May that will be of interest to feminists in Bristol.
Combatting Violence Against Women Internationally and in Iraqi Kurdistan
Wed 12 April 2017
19:00-20:30
Waterstones
Price: £6/ £4
Violence against women is a widespread global problem, experienced by one in three of the world’s women (World Health Organisation). Gill Hague and Nazand Begikhani, from the pioneering Centre for Gender and Violence Research, of which Hague was one of the founders 27 years ago, explore how we can combat gender-based violence and transform women’s lives internationally, offering inspiring approaches from across the world.
They also discuss gendered violence and ‘honour’-based violence in the context of the Middle East, focussing on Iraqi Kurdistan Region, and highlight some of the life-changing projects and activism in combatting violence against women there. While the subject is a distressing one, the event will showcase the transformatory and uplifting work of activists against violence against women internationally.
Out of the Backstreet: 50 Years of the Abortion Act
Sat 27 May 2017
19:30-20:45
At-Bristol
Price: £7/£6
The 1967 Abortion Act is marked as an historic victory for the pro-choice movement and an important part of Britain’s social history. The Act took abortion out of the backstreet, particularly for poor and working class women, and introduced safe, legal abortion. Now 50 years on more people than ever before support women’s right to choose and make their own reproductive decisions in Britain.
Kerry Abel (Abortion Rights Chair), journalist Reni Eddo-Lodge, Sally Sheldon (Professor of Law, University of Kent – pictured) and sociologist Jackie West (University of Bristol) discuss the Act, from examining how it was won and commemorating the activists to exploring current barriers to abortion access.
***
We are planning some public workshops for late June, news of these will be released very soon!
