MLA 2026  (Toronto Jan. 8-11 2026)

Feministas Unidas-Non-Guaranteed Session

Title: Sexual Violence and Power: Sexual Assault As a Metaphor for Political Culture.

Abstract: Feministas Unidas invites interdisciplinary contributions for its non-guaranteed session in online format for MLA 2026 (Toronto, January 8-11, 2026). Proposals can be submitted even if you are not a member of Feministas Unidas. If accepted, participants must register for the 2025 period. This call for contributions seeks to explore the political uses of the representation of sexual violence in various cultural manifestations, such as literature, film, visual arts, and other cultural products, across different historical periods and especially those produced in the Global Hispanic contexts. Through a critical and multidisciplinary approach, the academic community is invited to address how this construction has been used to legitimize or challenge power structures, dominant ideologies, and discourses on gender and sexuality. We welcome contributions that address this issue not only in territories traditionally studied by Spanish-speaking academia, such as the Iberian Peninsula and Latin America, but also in the Caribbean, Africa, Asia, and communities within the United States. In particular, we encourage studies that analyze the intersections between sexual violence and colonial, postcolonial, and contemporary contexts, considering how these representations have been shaped by historical, social, and political processes. Additionally, we seek proposals that engage with the diversity of voices historically silenced or marginalized, exploring the multiple ways in which women, minorities, dissidents, and subaltern subjects have been represented in culture and how these representations reflect or resist power dynamics. Priority will be given to studies that delve into how these representations impact the formation of collective identities and resistance movements.. Proposals may consider both recent advances in gender-sexualities-feminisms and visual culture studies, as well as more established traditions of literary and cinematic analysis.

Those who are interested must complete this Google form (https://forms.gle/hU1dukSvDJoBHbEf9) in English or Spanish, with a title, an abstract, and a biography of 250 to 300 words each before March 20, 2025. For any questions, please contact Dr. Ana I. Simón-Alegre: president.feministasund@gmail.com

Dates to Keep in Mind:

• March 20, 2025: Submission of abstracts via Google form (https://forms.gle/hU1dukSvDJoBHbEf9)
• March 21, 2025: Notification of acceptance or rejection
• March 23, 2025: Confirmation.
• March 24, 2025: Official submission of the proposal to MLA.