Transforming Theory, Policy, and Practice: Decolonise Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) in Higher Education (HE)
Dates: 4-6 February 2026
Venue: Online
We are delighted to announce the first transnational fully online conference organised by FemIDEAS and FemDialogue
We invite submissions for presentations at Transforming Theory, Policy, and Practice: Decolonise Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) in Higher Education (HE), a transnational online conference. Grounded in victim-survivor-centred, feminist, intersectional, decolonial, and abolitionist approaches, the conference seeks to bring together people with lived experience, students, academics, activists, and policymakers to bridge the gaps between theory, policy, and practice.
We welcome submissions that explore how higher education systems, policies, practices, and activism can more effectively prevent and respond to SGBV through inclusive, trauma-informed, and transformative approaches.
Submissions are welcome in English, Portuguese, and Spanish. Live language interpretation and captioning will be provided throughout the conference.
This conference is free to attend for all presenters and attendees. There are no registration fees.
Suggested Themes
We welcome presentations that engage with one or more of the following broad themes:
- Victim-survivor-centred, feminist, decolonial approaches, policies and practices to addressing and preventing SGBV within HE spaces
- Abolitionist or transformative justice frameworks for addressing SGBV
- Application of an intersectional lens for addressing SGBV in HE, including understanding and responding to the needs and interests of minoritised students, academic and non-academic employees, including but not limited to gender identity, sexuality, race, class, and/or ethnicity.
- Perspectives or comparative insights from the Global South for addressing SGBV in HE, especially work that engages with learning from South Africa, Nigeria, Brazil, and Argentina
- Theories of how cultural norms and beliefs shape understandings and responses to SGBV in HE.
- The ongoing impact of colonial legacies and imperial histories in shaping university spaces, as well as their influence on the understanding of and responses to SGBV within this context.
- Student/activist movements or campaigns aimed at achieving systemic or cultural change in universities.
- Lessons learned from the implementation of SGBV-focused student activist leadership, advocacy, pedagogy, engagement, and or peer-led programmes.
- Impact of SGBV on student wellbeing and or campus environments, including safety implications.
- Assessing the efficacy of institutional programmes to address SGBV and evaluations of institutional responses, policies and practices to SGBV, especially victim-survivor-focused approaches.
- Theories, debates, and approaches to naming people who have caused harm (the ‘politics of naming’).
- The role and impact of anti-gender discourse on institutional policy and practice responses to SGBV in HE institutions.
- Institutional ‘backlash’ or retaliation against individuals or groups working to address SGBV in HE and its impacts.
Presentation Formats
- Oral Presentation (15–20 minutes)
- Lightning Talk (1–5 slides, 5–10 minutes)
- Digital Poster Presentation
Each day will end with cultural and creative offerings (online), including music, poetry, spoken word, and more, to create space for joy, connection, and reflection.
Publishing Opportunities
We are also pleased to offer writing and publishing opportunities stemming from the conference. Our research has highlighted the barriers that people with lived experience, students, academics, and activists face when attempting to publish while actively resisting SGBV within universities. These barriers, coupled with a lack of institutional support, often push people out of academia.
In response to this, and with a commitment to redistributing labour and resources as a core research ethic, we aim to create three conference publication opportunities. In all cases, contributions from people with lived experience, academics, activists, and practitioners from the Global South will be prioritised.
- Special Issue in the Commentary and Criticism section of Feminist Media Studies
- Edited Collection
- Podcast Series
For more information on the conference and publication opportunities, please see the Call for Papers below:
All submissions should be made using the following forms: ENGLISH, SPANISH, PORTUGUESE
Submission guidelines:
- All abstracts must be submitted via the online submission form (see links above) no later than Monday, 15th September 2025.
- Submitted abstracts will be peer reviewed by the FemIDEAS team. Notifications of acceptance will be sent by email to the lead author by 31st October 2025.
- Each participant may submit only one paper as the lead presenter for any given presentation format. For example, a participant may submit an abstract for an oral presentation and a separate digital poster on a different topic, but may not submit two papers as the lead author for oral presentations. Participants may, however, appear as co-presenters on other submissions.
- Abstract submissions must adhere to established research ethical standards, ensuring data integrity, transparency in data collection, and respect for the privacy and dignity of all participants.
The conference will be governed by a ‘Safer’ Spaces Policy, which all participants must agree to before taking part in the event.