The 8th European Feminist Research Conference, with the theme "The Politics of Location Revisited: Gender@2012,” took place at CEU on May 17-20. The event was hosted by the Department of Gender Studies, which co-organized it for the first time in the conference's history with the independent, membership-based association AtGender, the European Association for Gender Research, Education and Documentation.
The 8th EFRC was the third-largest feminist conference ever held in Hungary, following the 1913 Conference of the International Woman Suffrage Alliance and the 1948 Congress of the Women’s International Democratic Federation. This year, more than 650 participants from 47 countries, of which 516 presented a paper or poster, or participated in one of the round tables. The general theme of the conference was addressed from different disciplinary and interdisciplinary perspectives within 13 main strands or themes that in a broad and inclusive way covered most of the social sciences and humanities. Each strand was coordinated by an international committee which selected the papers and organized them into 121 panels panels.
Five keynote speakers were featured including CEU's own Andrea Peto and Clare Hemmings from the Gender Institute at the London School of Economics and Political Science. Six round tables were organized on topics of particular relevance including “Do European Gender Policies Make a Difference”; “The 'City' of Gender Studies: Eastern Europe and Japan”; “Women’s Art in Hungary”; and “Thinking about Gender at CEU: A Conversation.” The conference demonstrated the scope and depth of current research in European women’s studies and gender studies. It has also shown how profoundly the epistemological project of feminist theory affects knowledge production, addressing crucial questions of our times and offering solutions to real world problems.
The event was characterized by a high level of intergenerational cooperation, with a strong presence of young researchers and students. Students both presented papers and actively participated in the Student Day which, in line with an already well-established tradition of European feminist research conferences, was an integral part of the event. The high level of participation of young and international scholars was enhanced by two special funds, created by the conference organizers. The Solidarity Fund supported the participation of 120 scholars and young researchers, whereas the Student Fund contributed to the payment of the conference fees for 47 student participants.
A series of additional events, consisting of book presentations, presentations of feminist libraries, a bus tour offering a feminist view of Budapest, and film and theatrical events complemented the program. The conference dinner on May 19, during a cruise on the Danube was followed by a concert by EtnoRom band. The complete program of the conference can be found on the conference website www.8thfeministconference.org.