Abolitionist Feminism & Gender Based Violence Series Launch

green square with art nouveau flower frame with the words Gender Based Violence Series Launch in text

To mark the recording of the ‘Addressing Gender-Based Violence: Carceral Reforms vs Abolitionist Strategies’  being published we have invited the event contributors to write a piece to kick off our new series on Gender Based Violence. 

The resource was developed by Abolitionist Futures in collaboration with frontline support workers, community organisers, and researchers with the aim of helping communities respond to gender-based violence with abolitionist strategies at a structural level. Consisting of a chart, which summarises different strategies, and a booklet, which provides more detail on each strategy.

Gender-based and sexual violence are widespread, pervasive, and urgently need to be addressed. It seems increasingly critical that we do.  Yet the criminal legal system routinely fails to keep us safe from harm. In fact, it often inflicts more harm, particularly on those from marginalised and oppressed groups. In light of the ramping up of the Law & Order rhetoric found in the current political offerings, especially relating to Gender Based Violence, as well as the active attacks on bodily autonomy on both sides of the Atlantic we must look at our problems and myriad of potential solutions afresh. 

We envision this series to be expansive in the range of topics that come under ‘Gender Based Violence’ and invite you to contribute. We are particularly interested in hearing from individuals and groups that engaged or are engaging with the resource to understand whether it has been effective in our hope that it be used as a discussion tool to generate conversation, support strategising, and prompt action to address gender-based violence. 

This series will draw on some of the focus of the resource and what would abolitionist responses to sexual and gender-based violence look like, while also teasing out some of the problems found in our current ways of conceptualising responses to gender based violence. 

You can look forward to pieces from Lola Olufemi, Alison Phipps, Tanya Serisier, Leah Cowan which grapple with a range of topics from the shifts in funding of the voluntary sector in the 1980’s and 90’s, adverts against sexual harassment, how GBV is portrayed in the media, and the politics of supporting survivors of sexual violence.

We hope this series could become a space for people engaging with Gender Based Violence, whether it’s doing frontline work, as a survivor, as someone organising or trying to influence government policy to share ideas. None of us alone has the answer to how to get out of the traps we find ourselves in, but we know what we have been trying has not worked, and that now is the time for some new ideas to emerge collectively. If this sounds like you please read our writing guidance for an idea about the length and style, and you are welcome to contact us with an idea before writing it up fully.