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Societies
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Gender, Sexuality, and State Violence: International Perspectives on Institutional and...
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Gender, Sexuality, and State Violence: International Perspectives on Institutional and Intersectional Justice

A special issue of Societies (ISSN 2075-4698).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (1 September 2023) | Viewed by 23245

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Ladan Rahbari

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Sociology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Interests: gender; sexuality; race and diaspora; digital media; decolonization
Dr. Conny Roggeband

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Political Science, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Interests: gender; gender-based violence; democracy; social movements
Dr. Kristina Kolbe

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication, Department of Arts and Culture Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Interests: culture; discourse; gender; inequality; media; migration; race

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We would like to invite interested academics working in the field of gender- and sexuality-based state violence to submit abstracts for this Special Issue titled “Gender, Sexuality, and State Violence: International Perspectives on Institutional and Intersectional Justice”.

In this Special Issue, we are interested in international contributions that engage with how states cause harm and suffering to individuals and groups (partly) because of their gender and sexuality. State violence in the form of harmful policies and discourses, direct forms of (institutional) brutality, or juridical harm are sources of violence inflicted on women and LGBTQIA+ individuals and communities. We approach violence broadly, including physical, psychological, sexual, and symbolic violence—among others—as forms of violence induced or perpetuated by states. We are specifically interested in intersectional analyses of gender- and sexuality-based state violence committed in relation to age, race, color, migration, (dis)ability, and class. The guest editors invite academics from institutions around the globe to submit article proposals using diverse research methods and theoretical frameworks, belonging to any disciplinary background. We invite researchers to submit an abstract of no more than 500 words (without references and bibliography). The abstract should outline the paper’s topic, methods, main theories and concepts and reference to potential empirical data. In this Special Issue, we would like to bring together international scholars. Therefore, there is no specific geographical focus. All contributions are thus welcome as long as the works have been written in English. Abstract submission closes on February 28, 2023.

The papers may be bibliographic, theoretical, or empirical-studies-focused and may draw on the following, or other, research lines:

  • Newly developed feminist perspectives on of gender- and sexuality-based violence in relation to (undemocratic) states,
  • Empirical studies of gender- and sexuality-based violence in different legal, policy and political contexts,
  • Critical, theoretical and/or empirical analysis of the relationships between states, gender and acts of violence,
  • Exploration of gendered and sexually motivated violence committed by state institutions,
  • Historical and intersectional analysis of gender-based violence committed by the state in relation to age, race, color, migration, (dis)ability, etc.,
  • State violence against LGBTQIA+,
  • Exploring gendered and sexualized state violence in digital spheres,
  • Scrutinizing how states induce or perpetuate misogyny and gender-based violence,
  • Exploring policy discourses that indirectly or directly facilitate gender-based violence,
  • Examining the role of the media in sustaining or challenging gendered and sexualized state violence,
  • Exploring strategies of resistance (including digital practices) against gender- and sexuality- based state violence.

Feel free and encouraged to suggest subjects in relation to gender-based and sexuality-related violence by the state.

What and how to submit:

The author(s) should email their abstract proposal as a Word file to all of the three following email addresses: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]

Submission timeline

January 2, 2023: Abstract submission opens.

February 28, 2023: Abstract submission deadline.

The editors will review all submissions and will invite potential contributions.

March 18, 2023: Notification of the decision to submit the full manuscript.

Please note that the initial acceptance of an abstract does not guarantee acceptance of the full manuscript.

September 1, 2023: The full manuscript submission deadline.

September 1, 2023 – February 1, 2024: Review process (1–2 rounds).

March 1, 2024: Provisional date of decision on manuscripts.

May 2024: Provisional date of completion of the editorial process.

Dr. Ladan Rahbari
Dr. Conny Roggeband
Dr. Kristina Kolbe
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as conceptual papers are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Societies is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • gender-based state violence
  • intersectionality
  • political violence
  • state violence against women
  • state violence against sexual minorities
  • violence against sexual minorities

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  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

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18 pages, 314 KiB  
Article
Polish Mother and (Not) Her Children: Intersectional State-Violence against Minors in Poland
by Aleksandra Sygnowska
Societies 2024, 14(7), 108; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc14070108 - 3 Jul 2024
Viewed by 1110
Abstract
This article seeks to explain the political responsibility that Polish right-wing female politicians directly associated with the 2015–2023 Polish government and the then-ruling Law and Justice Party bear in the state-sanctioned violence against minors in the context of LGBT- and immigration-related issues. Its [...] Read more.
This article seeks to explain the political responsibility that Polish right-wing female politicians directly associated with the 2015–2023 Polish government and the then-ruling Law and Justice Party bear in the state-sanctioned violence against minors in the context of LGBT- and immigration-related issues. Its main assumption is that, in times of the nationalist surge that has been sweeping Poland, women using anti-LGBT and anti-immigration discourses helped to legitimize discriminatory state practices and, consequently, made a significant contribution to the enactment of white, Christian, and heteronormative identity on Polish children. Drawing upon Critical Discourse Analysis, this work examines the anti-LGBT and anti-immigration political talk by female politicians who, in their narrative strategies, adopt the position of a “Polish mother” on a mission to save a “child in danger”. Through my analysis, I aim to demonstrate that anti-LGBT and anti-immigration discourses are equally significant areas of women’s political engagement. Despite the prevalent cultural norms of caring motherhood, women do exercise their agency in political struggles as supporters of discriminatory state policies directed against minors by re-politicizing a symbolic figure of the “Polish mother”. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gender, Sexuality, and State Violence: International Perspectives on Institutional and Intersectional Justice)
15 pages, 272 KiB  
Article
The Violent Implications of Opposition to the Istanbul Convention
by Conny Roggeband and Andrea Krizsán
Societies 2024, 14(6), 92; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc14060092 - 17 Jun 2024
Viewed by 1272
Abstract
This paper focuses on campaigns against the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention). These campaigns not only obstructed ratification processes in a number of countries, but also that the openly hostile and highly [...] Read more.
This paper focuses on campaigns against the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention). These campaigns not only obstructed ratification processes in a number of countries, but also that the openly hostile and highly gendered attacks had a direct impact on women’s rights activists and their work, seriously hindering their work, but also affecting their well-being and safety. In this paper we explore the violent implications of the campaigns against the Istanbul Convention which are part of wider anti-gender campaigns. We argue that the violence of the campaigns and the violent implications should be considered gendered political violence, which effectively marginalizes women and other targeted groups and obstructs their participation in society and politics and as such is central to current autocratization tendencies and undermining of democracy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gender, Sexuality, and State Violence: International Perspectives on Institutional and Intersectional Justice)
15 pages, 243 KiB  
Article
From Theory to Action: A Saudi Arabian Case Study of Feminist Academic Activism against State Oppression
by Lana Sirri
Societies 2024, 14(3), 31; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc14030031 - 20 Feb 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 6180
Abstract
This article explores the intricate landscape of women’s rights in Saudi Arabia, an authoritarian state within the Gulf Cooperation Council countries (GCC), where the pursuit of modernization strategically utilizes women’s issues as symbols of national identity and markers of progress. The article focuses [...] Read more.
This article explores the intricate landscape of women’s rights in Saudi Arabia, an authoritarian state within the Gulf Cooperation Council countries (GCC), where the pursuit of modernization strategically utilizes women’s issues as symbols of national identity and markers of progress. The article focuses on the transformative potential of academic activism, exemplified by the work of Hatoon Ajwad al-Fassi, in countering oppression against women. It demonstrates how women navigate the realms of academia and activism to reshape gender dynamics and shape their nation’s modernization trajectory. By emphasizing the critical intersection between academic inquiry and activism, this article dispels the misconception that academia and activism are mutually exclusive. In contexts such as Saudi Arabia, where women’s rights face suppression, this intersection emerges as imperative for informed research and frontline advocacy, effectively addressing state-sponsored violence. Furthermore, this article critically evaluates the persistent challenge of feminist neo-Orientalist scholarship, which often distorts the depiction of Saudi women’s experiences. It offers a contribution to a nuanced understanding of women’s theorization that includes the ethico-political context within which women operate. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gender, Sexuality, and State Violence: International Perspectives on Institutional and Intersectional Justice)
14 pages, 473 KiB  
Article
Carceralities and Approved Gender Violence: The Case of Direct Provision in Ireland
by Arpita Chakraborty and Virve Repo
Societies 2024, 14(1), 12; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc14010012 - 19 Jan 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2446
Abstract
In this article, we argue that Direct Provision in Ireland is a state approved form of gendered carcerality which creates and exacerbates conditions of gendered violence. Direct Provision is a system of processing asylum seekers in Ireland where they are temporarily provided accommodation [...] Read more.
In this article, we argue that Direct Provision in Ireland is a state approved form of gendered carcerality which creates and exacerbates conditions of gendered violence. Direct Provision is a system of processing asylum seekers in Ireland where they are temporarily provided accommodation while they wait for a decision on their refugee status claim. This article shows how carceral practices are layered and gendered, making some spaces and bodies more carceral than others. These carceralities increase the institutional burden which agglomerates in human bodies and makes the lives of an already precarious population unliveable. Through a review of the strategies adopted by the government in relation to migrants, undocumented workers and asylum seekers, this article shows how the gendered experiences of certain asylum seekers like mothers and sexual violence survivors become the political site where state approved carceral practices and gendered violence merge. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gender, Sexuality, and State Violence: International Perspectives on Institutional and Intersectional Justice)
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16 pages, 271 KiB  
Article
Contesting State-Led Patriarchy—The Drivers, Demands and Dynamics of Women’s Participation in the Gezi Uprisings in Turkey 2013
by Nora Stein, Janet Kursawe and Denis Köhler
Societies 2023, 13(12), 258; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc13120258 - 14 Dec 2023
Viewed by 1685
Abstract
The Gezi Park protests in Istanbul (Türkiye) gained worldwide attention in 2013. Both men and women took part in the protests, which were heavily cracked down on by the government. The present study examined 273 Turkish women’s attitudes and motivations for taking part [...] Read more.
The Gezi Park protests in Istanbul (Türkiye) gained worldwide attention in 2013. Both men and women took part in the protests, which were heavily cracked down on by the government. The present study examined 273 Turkish women’s attitudes and motivations for taking part in the protests. The results show that the following variables had a significant impact on protest participation: lifestyle threats posed by religious values/norms and by the government; feelings of marginalization as a woman; political dissatisfaction; gender discrimination; and affiliations with feminism. Regarding the impact of attitudes on women’s political participation and discrimination, this study provides insights into the state of research on gender discrimination and feministic identity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gender, Sexuality, and State Violence: International Perspectives on Institutional and Intersectional Justice)
12 pages, 275 KiB  
Article
“Festival y Protesta”: The Integral Role of Protesting State Violence in Celebrating Puerto Rican Women and Feminists
by Amaury J. Rijo Sánchez
Societies 2023, 13(12), 251; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc13120251 - 5 Dec 2023
Viewed by 2478
Abstract
Eradicating the mistreatment of Puerto Rican women and people that local and U.S. governments enact has been a major transformative goal for Puerto Rican feminist movement communities. The celebration of International Working Women’s Day presents optimum opportunities for organizations to celebrate and make [...] Read more.
Eradicating the mistreatment of Puerto Rican women and people that local and U.S. governments enact has been a major transformative goal for Puerto Rican feminist movement communities. The celebration of International Working Women’s Day presents optimum opportunities for organizations to celebrate and make visible the monumental achievements of Puerto Rican women and people. Similarly, they foster the opportunity to strategically protest the large-scale and harmful attacks of the United States and Puerto Rico’s (abbreviated throughout as U.S. and P.R.) governing double-bind onto minority Puerto Rican populations. Feminist activists, protesters, artists, and attendees collaborate in performances, speeches, and overall programming, resulting in dually celebratory and protest-based marches. Further, the multifaceted approach to protesting observed at the celebration of International Working Women’s Day shines light on decolonial and feminist efforts that bring about social justice and transformation. This article analyses ethnographic data collected through participant observation in one march held in Puerto Rico, as well as a small archive of news articles relating to said march. Results reflect strategic forms of organizing and protesting that exercise activists’ agency in communication with the government and state. Further, they show the demand for accountability and action in favor of minority Puerto Rican populations. Simultaneously, the results also shine a light on the synergistic character of state and government approaches to minimize the impact of activist protesting. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gender, Sexuality, and State Violence: International Perspectives on Institutional and Intersectional Justice)
16 pages, 843 KiB  
Article
Institutional Solidarity in The Netherlands: Examining the Role of Dutch Policies in Women with Migration Backgrounds’ Decisions to Leave a Violent Relationship
by Chloé Roegiers (Mayeux), Sawitri Saharso, Evelien Tonkens and Jonathan Darling
Societies 2023, 13(11), 243; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc13110243 - 17 Nov 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2079
Abstract
In The Netherlands, women who experience domestic violence can rely on public policies that aim to support them, such as shelters. Drawing on the lived experiences, through 10 interviews and observations, of women with different cultural backgrounds and nationalities staying in a shelter, [...] Read more.
In The Netherlands, women who experience domestic violence can rely on public policies that aim to support them, such as shelters. Drawing on the lived experiences, through 10 interviews and observations, of women with different cultural backgrounds and nationalities staying in a shelter, and on 37 interviews with social workers working with these women, we observed that this support falls short for them. We argue that immigration rules, together with policies on domestic violence and housing, (unintentionally) often work in tandem with violent partners to prevent women with migration backgrounds from leaving violent relationships. The paper draws on a perspective of institutional considerations of solidarity to unpack the relations between domestic violence, cultural constraints, and public policies but looks also at the positive experiences of women of migrant backgrounds with these Dutch policies. This research indicates that there is a lack of institutional solidarity towards women, especially those arriving as marriage migrants, who have experienced domestic violence. In exploring the intersections of domestic violence and often exclusionary state policies, the paper reflects on how The Netherlands can provide more support to those women and how intersectional justice and solidarity might be expressed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gender, Sexuality, and State Violence: International Perspectives on Institutional and Intersectional Justice)
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Review

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14 pages, 251 KiB  
Review
Legitimating Misogyny and Femicide: Legal Himpathy and (State) Violence against Women in Iran
by Ladan Rahbari
Societies 2023, 13(11), 229; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc13110229 - 26 Oct 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2623
Abstract
On the fifth of February 2022, a man gruesomely murdered his seventeen-year-old wife, Mona Heydari, in a city in a southern province of Iran. The man then shocked bystanders by strolling in public spaces while carrying his wife’s severed head. This paper focuses [...] Read more.
On the fifth of February 2022, a man gruesomely murdered his seventeen-year-old wife, Mona Heydari, in a city in a southern province of Iran. The man then shocked bystanders by strolling in public spaces while carrying his wife’s severed head. This paper focuses on the case of Mona’s killing and investigates the state, media, and online user-created reactions to the incident. The paper aims to (i) offer an in-depth exploration of himpathy with the perpetrator and (ii) investigate the role of the law and the state in the normalization and perpetuation of violence committed by men against women in the name of ‘honor.’ This paper extends the usage of the concept of himpathy (by Manne, 2017) as a cluster of biases that direct sympathy towards men who commit violence against women to the institutional and legal realms. It also draws on the traditional notion of gheirat, referring to protecting one’s ‘honor,’ and explores its role in Iranian law to show that the Iranian legal system hinges upon it, therefore legitimating misogyny and femicide. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gender, Sexuality, and State Violence: International Perspectives on Institutional and Intersectional Justice)

Other

Jump to: Research, Review

13 pages, 221 KiB  
Concept Paper
Controlling Reproduction and Disrupting Family Formation: California Women’s Prisons and the Violent Legacy of Eugenics
by Vrindavani Avila and Jennifer Elyse James
Societies 2024, 14(5), 73; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc14050073 - 19 May 2024
Viewed by 1442
Abstract
Prisons in the United States serve as a site and embodiment of gendered and racialized state violence. The US incarcerates more people than any other nation in both numbers and per capita rates. Individuals incarcerated in women’s prisons are 10% of the total [...] Read more.
Prisons in the United States serve as a site and embodiment of gendered and racialized state violence. The US incarcerates more people than any other nation in both numbers and per capita rates. Individuals incarcerated in women’s prisons are 10% of the total prison population, yet women’s prisons remain understudied, and the violence that occurs in women’s facilities is rampant, widespread, and operates in particular racialized and gendered ways. This paper centers the forced sterilizations that occurred in California state prisons over the last two decades. We consider how reproduction and the nuclear family have served as a primary site of racial capitalism and eugenic ideology. While eugenic policies were popularized and promoted across the US and globally in the 20th century, the violent ideas underlying eugenic ideology have been a constant presence throughout US history. The height of the eugenics era is marked by the forcible sterilization of institutionalized ‘deviant’ bodies. While discussions of eugenics often center these programs, the reach of eugenic policies extends far beyond surgical interventions. We utilize a reproductive justice lens to argue that the hierarchical, racialized social stratification necessary for the existence of prisons constructs and sustains the ‘deviant’ bodies and families that predicate eugenic logic, policies, and practices. In this conceptual paper, we draw from ongoing research to argue that prisons, as institutions and as a product of racial capitalism, perpetuate the ongoing violent legacy of eugenics and name abolition as a central component of the fight to end reproductive oppression. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gender, Sexuality, and State Violence: International Perspectives on Institutional and Intersectional Justice)
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