Uppity Medieval Women Across the Globe 

In 1998, Vicki Leon published Uppity Women of Medieval Times, providing brief vignettes of primarily European medieval women fitting the description. As the field of Medieval Studies has been taking a global turn, this proposal seeks to put European uppity women into a deeper and more substantial conversation with their global sisters, such as the Japanese Lady Murasaki Shikibu, the Indian Nur Jahan, the Nigerian Queen Amina, and the Arabic Walladabint al-Mustakfi, to name a few. Uppity medieval women transgress their patriarchally assigned positions of immanence, often with the pen, the sword, and through sex. In an attempt to break new ground, we seek contributions that explore uppity medieval women––both historical and fictional–– from global perspectives. Comparative perspectives that trace similar experiences are highly encouraged. Reading the Middle Ages from a broader vantage point that illustrates how women worldwide were facing comparable experiences and challenges helps us understand the Middle Ages and feminism through a new lens. 

Please email your 200-word abstract and a 100-word biography to Anita Obermeier (aobermei@unm.edu) and to Doaa Omran (Domran@unm.edu).

We are having online and face-to-face sessions at the International Congress on Medeival Studies (ICMS). Our two panels are titled "Assertive Medieval Women Across the Globe I" and "Assertive Medieval Women Across the Globe II (A Virtual Roundtable)." The deadline for abstract submission on the congress website is the 23rd of Spetember 2022. Here is the submission link: https://icms.confex.com/icms/2023/cfp.cgi

We are also considering organising panels at Leeds International Medieval Congress (IMC) https://www.imc.leeds.ac.uk/imc-2023/ and the Medieval Association of the Pacific (MAP) https://www.medievalpacific.org/annual-conference/. The 2023 MAP Conference will be held April 20-22 in Eugene, Oregon. The portal for abstract submission is not open yet. 

Since we are trying to get a critical manuscript for an edited volume, we are proposing this session for several conferences, although in different formats.