memeac.gc.cuny.edu

Thursday, April 24, 2014
6:30-8:00 pm
Elebash Recital Hall

Co-sponsored by the Center for the Study of Women and Society and the Ralph Bunche Institute for International Studies

Most conversations on war and women begin by categorizing the roles women assume—whether as combatants or providers of logistical support. However, the vast majority of women are victims, and they constitute the largest number of refugees. Syrian women are fleeing their homes not only because of fear for their lives and those of their children, but also because rape is being used as an instrument of war. Research on Iraqi refugees in Amman and in the United States demonstrates that women’s displacement is ongoing. Nonetheless, new situations allow women to renegotiate family roles, organizing, and activism. The overthrow of Mubarak has encouraged women to demand more autonomy for themselves, while a younger generation advocates for the right of women to inhabit public space without being sexually harassed. The discourse on women has changed, with popular TV talk shows now addressing taboos against survivors discussing assault and other forms of violence. The panelists will discuss these and issues.