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Activism, Change and Feminist Futures: At the Intersection of the Personal and Political

The annual conference from the LEX Network, Violence Against Women and Girls Research Network (VAWGRN), Feminist Legal Research and Action Network (FRAN), and the Centre for the Study of Emotion and Law (CSEL).

Conference details

Dates: 5th - 6th November 2026

Location: School of Law and Social Justice Building, University of Liverpool

Call for papers

The call for papers is now open for our fifth joint international annual conference, organised by: The LEX Network, Violence Against Women and Girls Research Network (VAWGRN), Feminist Legal Research and Action Network (FRAN), and the Centre for the Study of Emotion and Law (CSEL).  This is a two-day in person conference.

The feminist slogan ‘the personal is the political’ was key to second wave feminism, as a rallying cry which emphasised the dynamic and reciprocal relationship between issues experienced as personal and those traditionally constructed as political.  While dating back to Carol Hanish’s 1970’s essay of the same name this sentiment has perhaps never been more relevant, not least due to the rise in populist politics. In continuing to interrogate the nexus between the personal and the political, we explore how we can resist the growing co-option and marketisation of feminism which has co-opted key feminist founding messages to the extent that they are often portrayed as banal/trite. This conference explores how we as feminists can take these foundational ideas forward in authentic ways to carve new ways forward against increasingly contested political backdrops.  Emphasising the value of responses grounded in lived experiences of intersectional oppressions and inequalities, this conference also provides a space to interrogate, as well as celebrate, feminist networks and the support they give in providing space to develop these grassroots concepts which are so central to feminist research and activism.

The conference will comprise papers, posters and exhibits that aim to showcase themes of the intersection of the personal and political. We invite submissions that draw from a diverse range of disciplines and methodologies with intersectionality running throughout within the following topics:

  • New theoretical frameworks for feminist research
  • Participatory and innovative feminist methods of resistance research
  • Domestic violence and coercive control
  • Sexual violence and harassment
  • Technology-facilitated gender-based violence
  • Migration and far-right politics of exclusion
  • Feminist activism
  • Anti-gender politics
  • Feminist legal studies
  • Systems and Institutions
  • Wellbeing

We will be accepting abstracts for:

  • Papers (15 minute presentation plus 10 minutes for questions)
  • Posters (will be displayed throughout the conference and there will be a dedicated poster session)
  • Exhibits such as artwork, interactive displays that can be displayed throughout the conference. Someone will need to be available to set up and take down the display, and to interact with conference delegates during breaks about the display. 

When you submit your abstract for consideration, we ask that you please indicate whether you prefer that we consider it as a paper, poster, exhibit or you don’t mind. 

Submission procedure

Submit an abstract (of up to 150 words maximum) including all authors names for a paper, poster or exhibit by midnight on Sunday 31st May 2026, using the online submission portal.

Conference fees

PhD researcher, Master’s or Undergraduate student: £35.00

Part-time or fixed-term post (in or outside academia): £60.00

Full-time permanent posts (in or outside academia): £100.00

Keynotes

Yet again we will have two inspiring keynote speakers and we will share more details when we have them. 

Bursaries

Thanks to the success of previous conferences, and in recognition of the challenging funding climate in academia, we are delighted to announce that the networks have allocated monies for a small number of conference bursaries. We intend that these will offset the cost of conference attendance for colleagues who will participate in this event. Four bursaries are available. To support their attendance, successful candidates will also receive a fee waiver for the attendance fee. In addition, they will be able to claim back up to £250 towards travel and accommodation. We will be sharing the details of how to apply for bursaries in the summer. 

Conference organisers