International Conference on Kurdish Women for Peace and Equality

Call for Papers

Overview:

The Kurdish National Congress of North Amercia intends to hold a conference about the Kurdish Woman in Kurdistan and Diaspora. The conference will be held in Southern Kurdistan in March 2007 The conference focuses on women in the four parts of Kurdistan and other regions where Kurds reside.

Background

Kurdish women have played a vital role in their societies and in Kurdish political and social movements. Despite this evident fact, women in Kurdish societies have been overlooked and at times neglected. We are striving to emphasize the importance of women’s participation in social and political life, and to highlight the essential part our unsung heroes have played in bringing us to where we are today. In this light, the “Kurdish Women’s Conference Coordinator Committee” is pleased to announce the upcoming “International Conference on Kurdish Women for Peace and Equality” in Kurdistan. The conference is organized by the Kurdish National Congress (KNC) of North America, and will be held in Erbil (Hewler) on March 8th, and Sulaimany on March 11th, 2007 . Kurdish Women are embracing their position as integral part of civil society and moving forward to claim their natural place in Kurdistan.

Aims of the Conference

1- to study different dimensions of Kurdish women in politics, science, art, and history in Kurdistan and all other areas that the Kurds are residing, and will address politics as a gendered domain.

2-To highlight both quantitative and qualitative aspects of Kurdish women and will look at both obstacles/constraints to progress and the emerging practices/strategies leading to progress, and encourages both structurally oriented and actor-oriented explanations for either the lack or the increase of women in political bodies, Sciences and art in different cultural, political and developmental contexts across Kurdistan.

3-to address issues concerning gender and power relations in politics, science, art, and history. The purpose is to take into account the experiences and coping strategies of women.

4-To explore, from different angles, reasons for violence against women in public and private life of Kurdish societies.

5- To develop ideas for looking into alternative or informal channels of participation, Kurdish women's exercise of power through these channels, and Kurdish women's role in influencing political, scientific, artistic, and historical agendas.

6-the conference will address the impact of diverse political discourses and religious systems on shaping the understandings of gender.

7- To provide an opportunity for establishing channels of cooperation between women organizations in Northern America, Europe and Kurdistan for the purpose of advancing and enhancing women’s roles in building the new civil society in Kurdistan and democracy.

Topics

» Gender and Nation Building in Kurdistan.

• Gender, democracy and statehood in Kurdistan
• Women, power and political representation in Kurdistan and in Iraq opportunities and challenges
• The role of women in conflict negotiations and peace-building and
• The role of gender equality in strengthening democracy and peace
• Economic inequity and how can we increase the chances of women in building small businesses and economic growth in Kurdish society and in Kurdistan

• Theocracy, redefining gender roles at home and in society
• Kurdish women and the construction of civil society.
• Engaging men in women issue

• Honor killings as utmost advanced violence against women in Kurdish society, historical aspect
• Cruelty, self mutilation and suicide among women
• Psychosocial aspect of violence in a generation
• Economic violence, and abuse
• Cultural and religious violence
• Societal violence, political violence and state violence.

Proposals

You are invited to submit a proposal for a 10-15 minute original paper presentation on any aspect of the conference theme or related topics. Suggestions for additional sub-themes within the overall theme are also welcome. Panels and poster presentations will also be considered. The conference is multi-disciplinary and cross-disciplinary and welcomes papers from the social, experimental sciences, and the humanities.

Since the conference organizers will not be responsible for paper circulation, it is important that you mail your paper to this address, once the paper is accepted please print out the papers you have received (accepted papers) and takes the papers with you to the conference. This address is only for the purpose of paper circulation. The proposal (one page maximum) must include: name(s), personal title(s), institutional affiliation(s), paper title, abstract (100 word maximum), biographical details of presenter(s) (100 word maximum), and contact details. The deadline for submissions is February1st, 2007. Please send the abstract paper presentation to the following addresses knc@KURDISHNATIONALCONGRESS.ORG , womenconference@vokradio.com and soraya@vokradio.com

Timeline

Proposals Due .................................................February 1st, 2007
Notification of Acceptance...............................February 8th , 2007
Papers Due......................................................February 15th, 2007
Conference.......................................................March 8th ,and 11th 2007

Logistics

- The Conference will be open to the public.

Conference participants will be responsible for their airfare (flight tickets and insurance) The guests will be accommodated for local travel and expenses.

The Conference will be conducted in Kurdish and English.

Publication

The Coordinator Committee will review conference papers and may consider them for publication. Final papers will be selected and authors/presenters will be notified of their selection for final presentation. A final copy of the paper is required before the conference (give a date when papers are required)

REGISTRATION FORM

Please type the requested information below as you would like it to appear on your name badge. Please complete a form for each person attending and submit prior to Feb 15th.

Name_____________________________________________________________

Title ________________________________________

Company/Agency/affiliation___________________________________________

Address___________________________________________________________

State or country _______________ Zip_______________

Work Phone ___________________________

Home Phone_____________________________

Fax ____________________________

E-Mail _______________________________________

Website_________________________

Language ________________________________

Presentation title_________________________________

You can simply e-mail your information via address provided on contact information.