Discussion List for campus-based and allied personnel working to end gender-based violence on campus.

["Claire Kaplan" <>]

Forward from the Women's Studies List:

Date:    Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:32:34 +0100
From:    Max Waltman 
<>
Subject: APSA 2010 "Challenging Inequality: Comparative Perspectives on
Sexual Violence, Gender, and Law." Panelists Wanted!

Dear list members,

We are a group of three researchers with background in political science and
law looking for additional participants from relevant academic disciplines,
and/or with significant policy-making experience, to participate either as
presenters, discussants, or possibly chair a panel at the American Political
Association's (APSA) annual meeting in Washington DC, September 2-5, 2010
<http://www.apsanet.org/content_4827.cfm>. Our papers will discuss
comparative legal approaches to fight gender-based violence as a means to
challenge inequality, covering particularly pornography, prostitution,
sexual harassment, and child sexual abuse. We are especially interested in
papers covering additional areas to ours' under our general panel theme, or
additional studies on the same topics. Below is the panel abstract in its
current form (to be revised). On personal request, the individual proposals
can be sent for review. 

APSA <http://apsanet.org/> is the most important national (and
international) professional organization for political scientists and its
annual meetings are very well attended, with around 7'000 registered
visitors from various disciplines or professions. It is also very
competitive to get a slot as a panel or presenter. The acceptance rate may
be well below 33%. Please contact us on my e-mail address below if you are
interested to participate in some form, and believe you have appropriate
qualifications. If possible at this stage, submit either a paper abstract or
a discussant's proposal (e.g., a short resume) for consideration. Deadline
for submitting the panel proposal to APSA, including all the individual
abstracts, is December 15.


Sincerely Yours,
Max Waltman

PhD Candidate
Dept. of Political Science, Stockholm University
Visiting Scholar, University of Michigan Law School 2006-08
e-mail: 

 or 

homepage: http://www.statsvet.su.se/homepages/max_waltman.htm
"Challenging Inequality: Comparative Perspectives on Sexual Violence,
Gender, and Law"

This panel addresses legal challenges to sexual violence and gender
inequality. We ask what legal approaches contribute in creating more
substantial gender equality by challenging gender-based violence. The
presenters consider cumulative evidence finding that consumption and
production of pornography, prostitution, child sexual abuse, and sexual
harassment are harmful and reinforces gender inequality, and as such are
expressions of gender-based violence and/or discrimination. These
recognitions are consistent with recent developments in international law
that has yet to be implemented at the national level. Our aim is first to
show what specific legal approaches would implement such recognitions on the
ground with more effective remedies. Specifically, we ask which policies
empower those victimized. Second, our aim is to analyze what the specific
political obstacles are in modern democracies to impose such more efficient
remedies. Our results will suggest what political and legal steps need to be
taken in order to contribute to substantial gender equality with the law.
Each individual study is comparative and draws on material from a wide range
of legal and political systems in different western democracies, including
international law. We systematically cover politics in Great Britain,
Canada, Sweden, and the United States.// The choice of crucial empirical
subjects for understanding the politics of challenging gender inequality
together with creative use of comparative materials offer increased
explanatory and interpretive leverage.