From Grassroots to the International: A Focus on Women’s Rights and Activism at Huge Annual Feminist Conference
(‘dinosaurs’* ‘hoarding’** rights welcome)
FiLiA steps into the spotlight as a showcase for new thinking in feminism | Portsmouth, 16-17 October
At its seventh annual event, at Portsmouth Guildhall this month the FiLiA conference is hosting the Women who, in 2021, put feminism back at the top of the political agenda.
Guest speakers include free speech defenders Maya Forstater and Joanna Cherry, Women’s rights commentators Jenni Murray, Helen Joyce and Julie Bindel, campaigners such as Karen Ingala Smith and Milli Hill and activists, such as Raquel Rosario Sánchez, currently fighting the legal cases which will define Women’s rights into the next generation. Global perspectives are highlighted by Zuhra Bahman (Afghanistan), Vaishnavi Sundar (India), Patricia Chinyoka (Zimbabwe) and speakers from over 20 countries, showing remarkable determination to gather post-pandemic and in the midst of a global backlash against Women
They’ll be joined by over 1,000 Women from across the UK and overseas. ‘We aregathering to learn more about what’s being done to Women in our society, and to feel the Sisterhood and solidarity that will sustain us as we emerge to make change in our communities’, says FiLiA co-founder and CEO Lisa-Marie Taylor. ‘Each year we showcase the foremost speakers in the feminist cause, exchanging information and ideas with those Women who do phenomenal, often unrecognised work at grassroots level.’
As the conference moves around the country each year projects started up in its wake include consciousness raising, feminist book clubs, international sex-trade abolitionist networks and more. This year, the conference focuses on sex-based rights and violence against Women and Girls, with debates and workshops on the changing nature of feminism and effective activism, plus sessions covering race, class, the environment, disability, international Women’s rights and law, among others. FiLiA also pays homage to our second wave Sisters, dismissed as dinosaurs* by some, and undervalued for the monumental contribution they made (and continue to make) to the lives of Women and Girls.
CEO Lisa-Marie Taylor says: ‘This year is the biggest conference yet – and it’s taking place at a moment in time when there is a concerted effort to dismantle Women’s rights and freedoms. It’s no surprise that our two main themes this year are the epidemic of violence against Women and the erosion of sex-based rights.
‘We know Women across the country are angry about this. At FiLiA, we offer Women a chance to come together, to experience solidarity and gather the information they need to get active locally.
‘We also have a huge amount of fun: we have hundreds of Women united in a common cause, many of them new activists who’ve never even been to an event like this before – at our last sell-out conference, held in Bradford, more than six out of ten Women told us they were joining us for the first time. It’s pure joy: they realise they’re not alone, they’re part of a massive sisterhood, and that they can change things for the better and play their part in taking down patriarchy.’
*Feminists
** Defending
FiLiA2021
Portsmouth Guildhall
Saturday, 16 October, 9.30am-7pm and Sunday, 17 October, 9.30am-4.30pm
For press accreditation, interviews and more information, please contact comms@filia.org.uk
Notes to editors
What is FiLiA?
FiLiA runs the largest annual grassroots feminist conference in Europe. It is a Women-led volunteer organisation and part of the Women’s Liberation Movement. FiLiA’s vision is a world free from patriarchy where all Women and Girls are liberated.
FiLiA: places and dates
Following on from the hugely successful Feminism in London (FiL) conferences (2008-2010) our first FiL conference as a newly constituted group was held in London in 2013.
The conference changed name to FiLiA (meaning ‘daughter’) in 2018.
That year the FiLiA took place in Manchester and in 2019 FiLiA was held in Bradford.
In 2022 FiLiA will be held in Wales, and 2023 in Scotland returning to England for our 10th event in 2024.
FiLiA: who’s who Trustees
Spokeswoman: Raquel Rosario Sanchez
Trustee and Finance: Lead Kruti Walsh
Chair of Trustees: Sally Jackson
CEO and co-founder: Lisa-Marie Taylor
More to FiLiA
2015: Charity status awarded Reg no: 1163473
2016: Blog launched (>300 written)
2018: Podcast launched (>160 recorded)
2019: Friends of FiLiA launched (donation scheme: >250 Friends)
2020: FiLiA Legacy Project launched (network building and training in activism)
2020: LabrysLit launched (Lesbian only international book club)