The twenty-first century is lauded for the strides in progress that have encouraged the rights of individuals to flourish and succeed regardless of gender, creed, or race. Yet issues of disparity still abound relating to gender constructions and sexual orientations especially against the backdrop of ecological crisis that are plaguing the world. The myriad of challenges which include issues of gender representation, sexual orientation, climate and/or environmental challenges, and cultural difference have become topical within scholarly circles. Environmental discourses penetrate behaviours about the past, presentations of the present and perceptions of the future and are closely tied to the ways in which Afrocentric environmental ideals relate to the feminine. The convergences of feminist viewpoints are evident in the interchangeable exploration and integration of the ecological, environmental, poststructuralist, psychoanalytical, materialist and post colonial in the advancement of discourses on feminism. Within the ever-expanding matrix, post colonial feminist find new avenues of expression in the perspective of women previously perceived as subaltern as they negotiate new frontiers of parity.

Ecolinguistics questions how language and literature promote ecocritical thinking in the face of an invasive global culture that anchors on anthropocentricism and capitalism. As Arran Stibbe opines regarding the global environmental crises, “there are increasing calls to go beyond attempts to address isolated symptoms with technical solutions and instead consider the deeper social and cultural causes of the problems we face” (Ecolinguistics, 11). The stories-we-live-by are cognitive structures, mental models which influence how people think, talk and act. The socio-cultural norms represent the vehicle through which aspects of gender, sexuality and ecological ideals are conceived and transmitted across generations.

This conference seeks to open debates on contemporary discourses on the blurred lines relating to gender, sexuality and ecology and encourage the interrogation of the issues from diverse theoretical lenses. Areas of interest include but are not limited to:

• Cultural orientations on gender, sexuality, and ecology
• The ‘new’ pronouns in gender
• Construction of gender and sexual identities in the 21st century
• Narratives of the transformation of sexuality, gender theories
• Theorizing gender and sexuality in contemporary literature and linguistics
• Gender roles construction within the Cameroonian society
• Social and ecological justice in contemporary literature
• Gender, sexuality, and technology
• Woman, nature and power constructs in language, literature, and art.
• Social media, gender construction and representation
• Gender, sexuality, and mental health
• Gender, sexuality, and society
• Sociology of gender and sexuality
• Gender, sexuality, and political participation
• Gender and sexuality in religion and media studies
• LGBTQ articulations in language and literature
• Breaking the glass ceiling

Proposals for 15 minutes presentations and 1 hour plenary sessions are welcomed. Abstracts of 250 words in MS Word format (Times New Roman, Font size 12) should be submitted to info@cellacameroon.org. Send inquiries via email to info@cellacameroon.org or call 237677194455 / 237677123000.

MAJOR ACTIVITIES

Opening ceremony

Keynote Addresses

KITAL 2022 Lectures in honour of Emeritus Professor Kashim Ibrahim Tala

Expose on the progress of CELLA

Closing ceremony

Formal Dinner and Festivities 

PARTICIPATION FEE

Research scholars: 20.000 FCFA

International Research scholars: $100.00

Research Students: 10.000 FCFA

International Research students: $50.00

CONFERENCE ACCOMODATION

Conference participants will enjoy reduced accommodation costs at comfortable hotels or guest houses.

IMPORTANT DATES

Call for papers: August 2022

Deadline for submission of abstracts: 25th October 2022

Notification of selected abstracts and invitation letters: 28th October 2022

Conference registration deadline: 2nd November 2022

Conference date: 4th & 5th November 2022