Call for Panels

RC07 Women and Politics in the Global South
One-Day Online Conference

POLITICS OF PRECARITY

28 February, 2026

Background

The IPSA Research Committee on Women and Politics in the Global South (RC07) brings together scholars, advocates, and practitioners committed to advancing feminist, decolonial, and intersectional approaches to the study of gender and politics. Our work centers on amplifying the voices, research, and experiences of women and feminist scholars, particularly from the Global South, and fostering meaningful dialogue across regions and disciplines.

For more information about RC07’s history, activities, and publications, please visit rc07.ipsa.org.

Objectives

This one-day online conference arises from a shared recognition that many scholars, particularly women from the Global South, continue to face structural barriers to participating in traditional in-person academic forums. These include visa restrictions, limited institutional funding, and prohibitive registration and travel costs. Such inequities often result in underrepresentation at major global conferences and limited visibility in scholarly publications, further perpetuating epistemic inequalities between the Global North and South.

By hosting an online conference, RC07 seeks to:

  • Expand access to global academic spaces for feminist and decolonial scholars from the Global South.
  • Promote cross-regional dialogue and knowledge-sharing on issues of gender, power, and politics.
  • Challenge dominant paradigms of academic production and circulation that privilege Global North institutions.
  • Strengthen RC07’s role as an inclusive and supportive platform for feminist scholarship and collective learning.

Conference Theme: The Politics of Precarity

We are living through a moment of profound global uncertainty. Democratic institutions are being undermined, authoritarianism is resurging, and regressive state actions increasingly target women, feminists, and marginalized communities. Along with this we are witnessing global economic uncertainty leading to deep socio-cultural polarization. All these events have led to precarity. While these dynamics are global, their effects are particularly acute for women in the Global South. The absence of Southern scholars in global debates risks further marginalizing their perspectives at a time when feminist, decolonial, and intersectional analyses are urgently needed.

Against this backdrop, RC07 invites panel proposals that explore 'precarity' from multiple intersections of gender, politics, and power in the Global South, with attention to historical and contemporary struggles for representation, justice, and equality.

Suggested Panel Themes

Panel proposals may address, but are not limited to, the following themes:

  1. Political representation and women's precarious position in the Global South
  2. Women and nationalism
  3. Women, work, and technology
  4. South-South dialogues on violence against women
  5. Institutional barriers and women scholars

We also welcome proposals on related or emerging topics that align with the overarching theme of Women and Politics in the Global South.

Submission Guidelines

  • Panel Proposals: Submit a 350-500 word abstract outlining the panel’s focus, research problem or questions, methodology, and five panelists invited to participate (final list of panelists is subject to change, until the panel is approved by the organizing committee).
  • Keywords: Include five (5) keywords that best describe your panel’s thematic scope.
  • Format: Each panel should include 3-4 presenters and a chair and/or discussant (appointed by the panel) who will provide a discussion about the work presented by the panelist.
  • Types of Contributions: We welcome complete research papers, as well as field research findings, preliminary analyses, and other in-progress work, to encourage broad participation and knowledge exchange.
  • Deadline:      5 December     2025
  • Submission: Send proposals to RC07conference@gmail.com with the subject line RC07 Online Conference Panel Proposal.
  • Notification of Acceptance: 19 December 2025. All accepted panels will be included in the conference.

Participation and Accessibility

The conference will be held virtually via Zoom. We aim to ensure broad participation from scholars at different career stages and from diverse regions.

Contact

For inquiries or clarifications, please contact the organizers at: RC07conference@gmail.com