J. Jennings
Silk floss tree (ceiba speciosa), Flecker Botanic Gardens, Cairns.

Feminists at Law: Revisiting Identity is a two-day symposium hosted by the Faculty of Law, University
of Technology Sydney. The symposium follows two previous events at the University of Melbourne Law
School (2016) and ANU College of Law (2015).

In 2017, the theme of ‘Revisiting Identity’ has been chosen to provide an opportunity to engage with a
range of contemporary feminist intersections with law, legal theory and activism. The theme of identity
has been central to feminist theory and has been repeatedly challenged, fractured and reiterated
through material, representational and political frameworks based on categories of class, race,
sexuality, gender and disability. What place, then, if any, should “identity” have in feminist approaches
to the law in 2017? Can “identity” still be used as a legitimate critical and strategic category?

We invite paper proposals that address any aspect of feminist engagements, re-engagements and
disengagements with identity within the broad field of law, legal theory and practice. Possible themes
include:

  •  challenges to the category of “woman” in law brought about through queer, transgender, non-binary
    and other gender identities;
  • feminist alliances with other identity-based and anti-oppression movements, including anticolonialism
    and Indigenous sovereignty;
  • the possibilities, limits and tensions of feminist interventions in and through health, health law and
    health practices;
  • the place/s of identity in enacting and contesting carceral and coercive state practices; and
  • the ethics of representation and the right to represent violence, racism and historical scenes.

As with the previous events, the symposium will adopt a collaborative and egalitarian format. There will
be opportunity for up to 25 participants to present papers and for a further 25 to participate in the
conversations. There is no registration cost. However, participants will need to cover their own transport
and accommodation costs. Catering will be provided during the days.

If you would like to give a paper at the symposium, we invite you to submit a 300-word abstract that
addresses the broad themes of the symposium by 31 August 2017 to revisiting.identity@uts.edu.au.
Successful participants will be notified by 30 September 2017. Paper presenters will be expected to
read and engage closely with the other papers in their session. We welcome abstracts from early
career researchers and doctoral candidates. There will be an opportunity for papers to be submitted for
publication in a future issue of Feminists @ Law, an open access online journal.