Gender Violence: Policies and Interventions
Professor Frances Heidensohn: What is the most important contribution feminism
can make to debates on gender violence?
In assessing the contribution of feminism on debates on gender violence Frances considers
two important questions: how research informs policies and how cultural and conceptual
shifts reshape the dialogue. Models for campaigns which challenge the status quo are also
discussed in this talk.
Frances Heidensohn is visiting Professor in the Sociology Department at LSE and Emeritus/a
Professor of Social Policy, University of London. She is the General Editor of the British
Journal of Sociology. Frances is a pioneer of feminist perspectives in criminology, best known
for her work on gender and crime. She has also worked on gender and law enforcement on
international and comparative perspectives. In 2000 she received the Book Award of the
International Division of the American Society of Criminology and in 2004 she was awarded
the Sellin Glueck Award for her contributions to international criminology.
Mojisola Adebayo: Reflections on 'I Stand Corrected'
Mojisola talks about her most recent collaboration on a performance developed with a South
African artist. The work engages with the systemic ongoing problem of 'corrective rape',
sexual violence perpetrated against lesbians with the objective to 'cure' or 'correct' them.
Born in South London, Mojisola Adebayo is an actor, director, playwright and producer. She
has been making theatre for over two decades. In 2005 Adebayo's Moj of the Antarctic was
performed at Lyric Hammersmith, Oval House Theatre, Queer Up North and at the British
Council African tour. Adebayo followed this with production of Muhammad Ali and Me (Oval
House), Matt Henson, North Star (Lyric Hammersmith) and her first commission, Desert Boy
(Nitro, Albany and national tour).
Aylwyn Walsh: Survivor/victim/hero?: Theatre making with women in prison
Awlwyn presents an overview of a theatre-making process with women in prison focusing on
how women participants fluctuate between positions, as 'survivors', 'victims' and 'heroes'. The
talk will be accompanied by images from photographer Cristina Nunez.
Aylwyn Walsh is a performance maker and scholar (University of Lincoln), working on the arts
and social change, currently developing practice-led research in women's prisons. She is also
the artistic director of Ministry of Untold Stories. Recent publications include work on arts in
healthcare for the Journal for Applied Arts and Health; on street art in Journal of Arts and
Communities, and in Total Theatre Magazine, Women in Prison Magazine, Prison Service
Journal and Theatre Topics. She is currently co-editing 'Remapping Crisis: A Guide to Athens'
published by Zero Books.
Gurcharan Virdee: Policy interventions around gender based violence in conflict
situations and humanitarian contexts
Gurcharan will consider the challenges in providing adequate support to sexual violence
survivors in conflict/humanitarian contexts, focusing on the problems involved in
extrapolating models developed in the Western context to situations 'elsewhere'. She will
refer to recent cases in Somalia and Afghanistan.
Gurcharan Virdee is Senior Consultant on Violence against Women/Girls and Gender and
Conflict, with Social Development Direct.