„'From Women's History to Gender History and Gender Studies: Debates and Research Trajectories'

The inaugural IFSGen conference, titled 'From Women's History to Gender History and Gender Studies: Debates and Research Trajectories,' was held online from December 7th to 9th, 2023.

The first conference of IFSGen was organised by Associate Professor Georgeta Fodor, Ph.D. Claudia-Septimia Sabău, Scientifc Researcher II Daniela Deteșan and Associate Professor Oana-Ramona Ilovan.

The Conference is intended to be the first of a series of scientifci events dedicated to women's and gender history.

The primary goal was to assess the current state of Romanian historiography and the main sources, themes, and methodologies used in researching women’s and gender history.

53 Specialists from universities, research centers and institutes, museums and archives from Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, Targu-Mures, Sibiu, Timisoara, Fagaras, Resita, Satu Mare, Craiova, Constanta participated. The discussions were complex and innovative, the result of a collective effort of documentation and interpretation. During the conference, questions were raised and several topics of interest were debated: How necessary is the adoption of a Southeast European working methodology assimilated to the history of women? How do you see a century of history through the eyes of Hartular women? What challenges and obstacles have marked the introduction of gender studies in the Romanian academic environment after 1989? To what extent can we speak of a real emancipation of women in the communist period? How women are represented in the collections and documentary funds of the National Archives, the Library of the Romanian Academy, .

The conference featured keynote speakers such as Professor Dr. Alin Ciupală (University of Bucharest), and Senior Researcher Ph.D. Constanța Vintilă (Nicolae Iorga Institute of History, Bucharest), Professor Ph.D. Ionela Băluță (University of Bucharest), Associate Professor Ph.D. Oana Băluță (University of Bucharest), and Lecturer Ph.D. Petruța Teampău (Babeș-Bolyai University).

The 47 papers included in the program were organized thematically on eight sections: 'History of women in archival sources', 'Sources of women's history. Speeches and representations', 'Female personalities', 'Status and role of women between public and private', 'Women in the community and in academic institutions', 'Feminist Movement, Gender Studies', 'Debates and directions of interdisciplinary research', 'Discourses and representations of women in socialism and post-socialism'.

A roundtable for students titled "Why Should We Understand Gender Relations? The Importance of Including Women's History and Gender Studies in School and Academic Curricula" highlighted the significance of integrating these topics into educational programs.

A selection of conference papers will be included in an upcoming volume, part of IFSGen's editorial series dedicated to women's and gender history themes.

Programul conferinței este disponibil aici: