This year’s Socare conference, “Women in the Caribbean: Fragmentations – Crossroads – Interconnections,” will take place from October 16 to 18 at the Ibero-American Institute (Berlin). The preliminary conference program and further information can be found on this page.

The congress will examine the position of women from the Caribbean as a region particularly characterized by ethnic, social, cultural, and linguistic differences. It focuses on changing political, social, and cultural interventions, gender roles, as well as feminist and LGTBQ movements both in the Caribbean and its diasporas.

Since the 1950s, historical events and dynamics such as emancipation, decolonization, and migration have had a significant impact on the role of women. Many have left the region, while maintaining close contact with their families and friends. Due to the development of gender discourses, digitization, and education Caribbean women have achieved powerful positions in many fields. At the same time, (domestic) violence against women has increased significantly, and they have proven to be more vulnerable when it comes to natural disasters.

Against this background, the planned congress sets out to explore aspects of the entanglement of femininity with historical, social, religious, and cultural dynamics in the Caribbean and beyond, pursuing three goals in particular:

1. To analyze recent studies on the social, political and economic challenges women are facing in different local communities and how they are dealing with them.
2. To discuss the variety of female activities and gender roles in contemporary societies as expressed in cultural manifestations, institutional protection, political interventions, and educational practices.
3. To explore the intersection of women’s multiple identities and positionalities, including their international networks.

Everyone is welcome to attend the panel discussions and keynote speeches. Conference fees apply only to speakers.

If you have any questions, please contact us at socare-conference@caribbeanresearch.net.

The organizing team:

Miriam Lay Brander / Ineke Phaf-Rheinberger / Asma Hussein / Mario Laarmann