This symposium seeks to understand how the notion of universalism in a Francophone context has found its way into the theory and practice of contemporary feminisms and to explore how feminists problematise or embrace French universalism and why. Are feminists, from the latter decades of the twentieth century to the present, remoulding, reclaiming, or discarding the universalist ideal? What does it mean to conceptualise universalism through an intersectional, transnational, and/or decolonial lens?

Our distinguished keynote speakers are Françoise Vergès, Sara R. Farris and Mame-Fatou Niang. During the three days of the symposium, panellists will discuss contemporary debates about republican feminism in both national and transnational contexts; the historical manifestations and precedents of republican feminism; and key concepts such as sisterhood, enemy feminisms, and bodily justice. The symposium is interdisciplinary, bringing together scholars from across the world working in fields including cultural studies, philosophy, cinema, literature, podcast studies, queer studies, gender studies, history, politics, and critical race studies.