Third International Gender Studies in Turkey Conference

Contemporary gender studies teach us how to combine different approaches, methodologies and practices to understand the relations of power, inequality, and oppression framing gender and sexuality, especially in societies that are socio-culturally divided and polarized. In the face of the rise of right-wing populist movements, of anti-feminist and anti-queer backlashes, these issues are taking on a new relevance as we see new policies of control over bodies, borders and territories, attacks on rights, the delegitimation of social justice demands, and erasure from the cultural and social field. 

What are the responses that can be advanced in this situation from a distinctly feminist, queer and intersectional point of view? What does a feminist/queer social and political agenda look like at a time of growing inequalities, migration crisis, environmental crisis, a general backlash against sexual and reproductive rights, and the anti-gender movements? What are the new fronts of struggle that feminist/queer knowledge has to face, and what methods are more appropriate to confront them in Turkey and abroad?

A wide range of research topics and methodologies can be addressed under the broad theme of contemporary gender studies. We invite contributions from any discipline and are open to a diverse array of feminist, intersectional, gender and queer approaches. We welcome studies that focus on Turkey and/or offer comparative insights that help contextualize its political and social dynamics.

Possible topics:

●  Feminist and queer struggles, activisms, and social movements

●  Politics of affect, emotion, feeling, and mood

●  Politics and religion

●  Peace and conflict

●  Social and political polarization

●  Work and labor

●  Cities and urban places

●  Agriculture and rural spaces

●  Migration and mobilities 

●  Disasters, risks and resilience

●  Ecology, climate change and environmental struggles

●  Men and masculinities

●  Health, wellbeing, healing and care

●  Quality of life and aging well

●  Art, literature, representation, and digital technologies

●  Queer spaces and cultures

●  Embodiment and the politics of the body

●  Feminist/queer epistemologies and methodologies, pedagogies

Please send an abstract (max. 250 words, in English or Turkish - depending on your choice of presentation) and a short biography to genderconf@sabanciuniv.edu 

Submissions should be anonymous; please do not include your name or institutional affiliation in the abstract document.

We will also be accepting a limited number of workshop proposals related to the conference theme. If you would like to offer a workshop to conference participants, please fill the workshop proposal form.

The deadline for abstract and workshop submission is August 4, 2025.

Authors of accepted papers and workshops will be notified on October 6, 2025.

Please contact us at genderconf@sabanciuniv.edu for questions and inquiries.