A feminist politics of radical hope in a time of oppression
Fourth joint international annual conference
Date: 6-7 November 2025
Keynote speaker
Professor Maggie O'Neill
Abstract
This fourth joint international annual LEX conference ‘A feminist politics of radical hope in a time of oppression’ defines hope as ‘central to marginal politics which speak of desires for equality or simply for a better life’ and that ‘Feminism might be characterised as a politics of hope, a movement underpinned by a utopian drive for equality’(Coleman & Ferreday, 2010). In my paper I will address the definition of and possibilities for ‘radical hope’ in the context of a long history of feminist collaborative research, theory and praxis, working with artists, communities and grass roots organisations and recent engagement with feminist new materialisms (Geerts 2024, van der Tuin 2025). This analysis opens dialogue with the LEX collective on the transformative power of feminist participatory and performative research in times of ongoing crisis, endemic violence and threats to academic freedom– by opening and keeping open spaces for stories to be told and heard, by doing feminist critical theory in practice, by ‘staying with the trouble’ (Haraway 2016) and by working together to create change, through research, pedagogy, advocacy and activism. A question is posed – how does the work that LEX scholars are engaged in contribute to critically understand, imagine and/or enact our social futures in more collective, just and sustainable ways.
Keynote speaker
Professor Aisha K. Gill
Professor of Criminology at University of Bristol, Centre for Gender and Violence, UK.
Abstract
The horrifying 2023 murder of 10-year-old Sara Sharif, who died after being repeatedly abused by her father and stepmother, exposes the inadequate responses of key services in cases involving Black and minoritised children such as Sara. In 2024, jurors at the Old Bailey heard that the 10-year-old was discovered dead in a bunkbed in the family home in Woking, Surrey, on 10 August 2023. Her father Urfan Sharif, 42, and his wife, Beinash Batool, 30, were found guilty by the Central Criminal Court of murdering Sara after perpetrating a year-long “campaign of abuse” against her. Despite her school referring her to social services, the authorities failed to take action that could have prevented her death This paper draws on the case to illustrate the importance of understanding the role culture plays (including family values and norms) in cases of child abuse; which may make it more difficult for this kind of abuse to be reported in Black and minoritised communities and examining how taking a ‘hands-off’ approach may incorrectly attribute what is going on to cultural norms/practices. This understanding is critical for helping us to better support victims and achieve successful prosecutions.
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