In recent years, the global political landscape has become increasingly marked by challenges to progressive action on gender justice. Resurgent masculinist ideologies, shaping conceptions of nationalism, justice and truth, have already had profound implications for feminist and gender movements worldwide. Many practical strategies to improve women and girls’ lives have been de-funded following US President Trump’s election and a wide range of gender-based rights are under attack or actively being rolled back. Practices of gender-based domination that until recently were persistent but quiet forces, are now openly invoked to attack protections against sexual violence, advances in equal opportunity, as well as critical conceptions of gender advanced by LGBTQI+ and feminist movements.

Is a ‘return to normal’ on the horizon? Or do we need to reckon with a time of crisis that is fundamentally challenging to the institutions that feminist movements have shaped and relied upon as a means of power? If faith in a forward march of history has been damaged by the re-emergence in mainstream politics of overt misogyny and patriarchal tropes of control over women’s bodies, how far are the weaknesses of legal protections and international agreements revealed? Where do we turn to rebuild feminist movements?

With this symposium we seek to collaboratively explore ways of naming the problems we face, understanding the many challenges they pose and finding strategies of resistance and resilience. We want to make room, too, for questioning ourselves about how best to respond and considering the strengths and weaknesses in our own feminist movements that these dark times reveal. A key output of the Symposium will be a ‘Feminesto’ – a call to arms and solidarity among all those oppressed by gender policing, gender inequality and gender violence; an expression of desire for a more just and generous future; and a crafting of strong relationships between academics, activists and advocates. 

This event will bring together Canberra-based and regional stakeholders to discuss strategies for advancing gender justice amidst contemporary challenges. A priority is to strengthen resilience within these movements, ensuring that efforts toward gender equality remain robust and adaptable in the face of evolving societal dynamics.

Key questions to be explored include: 

• How do we understand the precarious times we live in, and what opportunities for solidarity and renewal do they open?
• What are the contours of anti-gender and anti-rights ideologies as they gain strength in mainstream politics?
• How can setbacks to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) be resisted and reimagined?
• What forms do anti-gender politics take in Australia and the region, and what responses are most effective?
• How should feminist movements engage with the regressive framings of gender?
• How can solidarities across systematically marginalised and oppressed communities be nurtured amidst shrinking resources?
• What strategies best sustain feminist organising in the face of reactionary pushback, while holding fast to fundamental rights and freedoms?