Lecture by Ghadir Shafie, co-founder and director of Aswat, the Palestinian Feminist Center for Gender and Sexual Freedom

Ghadir Shafie is a Palestinian feminist who dedicates her work and activism to the cause of Palestinian queer women and to promoting a greater understanding of – and commitment to – the issue of Palestine amongst fellow activists and stakeholders. Ghadir believes in the intersectionality of the struggle of Palestinian queer women. Fighting a triple oppression – as Palestinians, as women and as LGBTQI people. Palestinian queer women are at the heart of the feminist, queer and anti-colonial national liberation causes.

Through her work and activism, Ghadir endeavours to make this intersection visible and to unite the feminist, queer and Palestine liberation movements in a monumental struggle for justice and freedom to all Palestinians. Having long been active on political issues; in 2008, she joined Aswat - Palestinian Feminist Center for Gender and Sexual Freedoms, where she currently serves as director.

Aswat works within Palestinian communities to advance the rights of women and LGBTQI persons and create open and safe spaces for the discussion of sexuality and social change in Palestinian society. Aswat also engages with activists and members of civil society to enhance their understanding of the struggle of women and queer people as integral to the national liberation movement.

The event will be introduced by Èlia Romo-Terol, researcher and co-director of the MA programme Arab and Islamic world (University of Barcelona)

Shafi’s talk is part of the Programme Aula Mediterrània. The inter-university programme Aula Mediterrània aims to foster studies on the Mediterranean with as wide and interdisciplinary a perspective as possible. Started in 2014, it is the result of the collaboration between the IEMed and the academic world.

The conference will be given in English, and the session will be live-streamed on the IEMed YouTube channel (see below).