Equality Days were held at the University of Iceland from the 13th to 27th of October 2011.
Below you can find a list of those events that were held partly or fully in English. For a complete programme (in Icelandic) follow the link at the top of this page.
The aim of Equality Days is to promote discussions and understanding of issues of equality. As usual, all events were free of charge and open to all.
Download the programme (flyer) in PDF format
Download the Equality Days poster in PDF format
Programme - Equality Days 2011 at the University of Iceland
13th of October: 12.00-13.00
Re-thinking gender in complex Asia: New activism among Adivasi women in India / Aktívismi meðal Adivasi-kvenna á Indlandi
Ragnhild Lund
In English
University Square 102
RIKK – Rannsóknastofa í kvenna- og kynjafræðum
This talk explores the significance of collective agency of tribal (Adivasi) women’s activist groups in Orissa, India. Based on a pilot study in Sundergarh and Rayagada districts, it is found that the present mining-based industries have lead to forced displacement, increasing poverty and erosion of resources and rights among poor Adivasi men and women. Under the neo-liberalist regime of the state, tribal women have scaled up their resistance by allying with other activist groups. They have become more professional and strategic in their action and visibility, and hence more effective. On the one hand such “new activism” remains insignificant particularly when their constitutional rights and status are being systematically eroded by the state and global actors. On the other hand, however, such activism has given tribal women political recognition which can no more be ignored by the ruling class in the country.
14th of October: 14.00-16.00
Equality, disability and higher education / Jafnrétti, fötlun og háskólanám
Eva Magnus, Knútur Birgisson, Aðalbjörg Gunnarsdóttir, Bergvin Oddsson & Jónína Kárdal
In Icelandic and English
Main Building, AULA
Rannsóknarsetur í fötlunarfræðum & RUMFF – Ráð um málefni fatlaðs fólks
The keynote speaker Eva Magnus is Associate Professor at Sør-Trøndelag University College in Trondheim and a Senior Researcher at the Social Research Institute of NTNU, Norwegian University of Science and Technology. Eva is originally trained as an occupational therapist but finished her PhD in Social Sciences from NTNU in 2009. Her doctoral dissertation focused on the everyday lives of disabled university students in Norway.
Her keynote talk is titled As Other Students: Time, Space and Challenges in the Everyday Lives of Disabled University Students and is based on her doctoral dissertation. In her talk Eva will explain how the students who participated in her study spent their time in various activities and discuss challenges and priorities to be able to participate in a desirable way as other students.
18th of October: 10-13
Sexual abuse in a religious context / Málþing um kynferðislega misnotkun í trúarlegu samhengi
Marie M. Fortune, Sólveig Anna Bóasdóttir, Brynhildur G. Flóvenz, Sigfinnur Þorleifsson, Berglind Stefánsdóttir, Guðrún Ebba Ólafsdóttir
In Icelandic and English
Main Building, AULA
Guðfræði- og trúarbragðafræðideild HÍ & Fagráð Þjóðkirkjunnar um meðferð kynferðisbrota
Main speaker is Rev. Dr. Marie M. Fortune, who is a well-known professional teacher on the topic of sexual and domestic violence . She is a theologian and a minister, a well-known author of several books on pastoral care and founder and senior analyst of Faith Trust Institute in Seattle, U.S. The Icelandic speakers will give short lectures on the topic of sexual abuse from the perspective of their different professions.
25th of October: 20-22
Women of foreign origin: Employment issues and migration from a feminist perspective / Konur af erlendum uppruna: Atvinnumál og fólksflutningar frá femínísku sjónarhorni
Anna Wojtynska, Guðbjört Guðjónsdóttir & Joanna Dominiczak
In Icelandic and English
Friðarhúsi, Njálsgötu 87
-Femínistafélag Íslands & Starfshópur um Jafnréttisdaga
The October "Hitt" of the Feminist Association will be held at Friðarhúsið on 25 October. The "Hitt" is organised in co-operation with Equality Days of the University of Iceland.
Talks and discussion will focus on issues relating to women of multicultural ethnicity in Iceland, with special attention to employment.
Talks will be given by Anna Wojtynska, who is a doctoral candidate at the Uni. of Iceland, Guðbjört Guðjónsdóttir, who wrote a master's thesis in anthropology on the experience of women of multicultural ethnicity working in hotels in Iceland, and Joanna Dominiczak who is the chaiwoman of W.O.M.E.N (Women Of Multicultural Ethnicity Network).
Drinks are sold for a fair price for the benefit of Friðarhúsið but have to be paid with cash since there is no facility for receiving credit cards.