With over 45 papers covering a wide range of issues related to women and their bodies, the forthcoming SWIPI annual conference on Women's Bodies (November 21 and 22) promises to be an exciting and rewarding event. The full programme can be viewed here.

We are pleased to announce out first newsletter for SWIP Ireland. See link below to download.

SWIP Newsletter V1 Autumn 2014

Call for Abstracts

Society for Women in Philosophy, Ireland 
Annual Conference and General Meeting
21^st – 22^nd November 2014, Newman House, Dublin 2, Ireland

Conference Theme: Women’s Bodies

Recent decades have seen unprecedented scholarly interest in the body, particularly the gendered body. This interest has been fostered by critical work emanating from the fields of philosophy, sociology, gender studies, cultural studies, medical humanities, and politics. Traditional concepts such as sex and gender have also come under scrutiny outside of the academy, where feminists and LGBT activists have drawn attention to the conceptualisation of the body in social and political milieus. 

Given this widespread appeal of theorisations on the body, the Society for Women in Philosophy Ireland is organising a conference on the topic of Women’s Bodies. Papers might address, but are not limited to, the philosophical considerations arising from the following topics:

• biological and social constructions of sexual difference.
• essentialism regarding sex and  gender,
• materiality of the body
• embodiment
• pornography
• pregnancy, biotechnologies
• the body and sexuality
• sexual violence and harassment
• the phenomenology of pregnancy, birth and parenthood
• technologies and the gendered body
• social movements, activism, and the gendered body
• the gendered body in media and culture

The focus of the conference is primarily philosophical, however, interdisciplinary papers combining philosophy with, among others, sociology, gender studies, cultural studies, politics, and medical humanities are also welcome.

Professor Rae Langton (Cambridge) and Professor Gail Weiss (The George Washington University) are keynote speakers at the conference.  Papers relevant to their work are also very welcome.

Please submit abstracts of not more than 500 words by September 1, 2014 to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Successful applicants will be contacted by 20^th September.

This conference is supported by an award from the Irish Research Council.

Call for Abstracts: The Being Female in Philosophy: political and phenomenological perspectives workshop is supported by the Society for Women in Philosophy (SWIP Ireland) and aims to provide an opportunity for females in philosophy, as well as males, working on related topics, to present their work.

Participants are invited to present for 20 minutes on this broad theme, with an opportunity for Q&A afterwards. Possible topics include (but are not limited to):

• Any of the work of a Female Philosopher

• Recognition

• Gender

• Discrimination

• Oppression

• Personal identity

• Embodiment

The workshop will conclude with a presentation, by Dr Cara Nine (UCC, Philosophy), who will lead a discussion on professional culture in academic philosophy, the series of sexual harassment issues in the philosophy profession over the past couple of years, the BPA Good Practice Scheme and its implications.

Registration is free and all are welcome (Female and Male alike)!

Format: abstracts of 500 words (approx.)

Deadline for submission: Monday 23rd June 2014

Submission (or for further information): please email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Download poster here

Download programme here