Call for Papers: Equality Law in Context: Illuminating Intersections in Search for Global Justice

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The tenth annual conference of the Berkeley Center on Comparative Equality & Anti-Discrimination Law (BCCE) will be held at Utrecht University (the Netherlands) on 28-30 June 2023. We welcome paper proposals, particularly on intersections between equality law and other fields of law (e.g. employment law, criminal law, fundamental rights law, competition law etc) as well as other disciplines (e.g. sociology, political theory, political economy, history, gender and queer studies, economics, etc) and/or intersectional inequalities (e.g. racism, sexism, class inequality, ableism, etc) The deadline for the submission of abstracts is 15 November 2022.

About the Conference

The tenth annual conference of the Berkeley Center on Comparative Equality & Anti-Discrimination Law (BCCE) will be held at Utrecht University (the Netherlands) on 28-30 June 2023. Previous conferences were hosted in Paris (Sciences-Po 2012), California (Berkeley Law 2013), Brussels (Université Libre de Bruxelles 2014), Shanghai (Jiao Tong University 2016), Dublin (Trinity College 2017), Melbourne (Melbourne Law School 2018), Stockholm (University of Stockholm 2019), Cape Town (University of Cape Town 2021), and Hong Kong (University of Hong Kong 2022).

The conference will provide a space for critical reflection on (comparative) equality law, and for trying out exciting new ideas about how to move equality law forward. The conference organizers particularly welcome submissions that seek to illuminate intersections between equality law and other fields of law (e.g. employment law, criminal law, fundamental rights law, competition law etc) as well as other disciplines (e.g. sociology, political theory, political economy, history, gender and queer studies, economics, etc) and/or intersectional inequalities (e.g. racism, sexism, class inequality, ableism, etc). They particularly encourage submissions that explore equality law in context, as well as combining different legal, empirical, symbolical and other disciplinary methods. 

There have been many calls to tackle deep-seated structural and intersectional discrimination in recent years, but so has the strong backlash against these campaigns. Indeed, in some places we see attempts to dismantle hard-won, progressive legal and policy change. In others, ongoing efforts to achieve much needed reform have been stalled or defeated.

With these realities in mind, the conference will consider possibilities for crafting effective short-term and long-term responses. These responses will incorporate a global perspective, engaging with societal partners and policy makers from around the world. They will also venture upon the premise that real change requires a more joined disciplinary approach, that considers how (in)equalities transpire in the narratives, images, etc., in the world around us and how legal rules and institutions find ground and work out in our daily environment. 

The comparative and different disciplinary insights and ideas presented by scholars and practitioners from around the world will enrich the conference experience. We hope to further expand the BCCE’s network and particularly encourage emerging scholars to join us.

Download this Call for Papers (.docx)

Call for papers

Paper proposals may address the broader themes described above or any area of equality and anti-discrimination law. Specific conference sub-themes are:

  • Multidisciplinary equality law
  • Effective mainstreaming and enforcement
  • Intersectionality and structural forms of discrimination
  • Covid-19 and inequality in times of crises
  • Opposition to equality projects
  • Digital equality
  • Disability rights
  • Racial justice
  • Gender equality
  • LGBTQI equality
  • Climate justice and just transitions
  • Financial equity and living wage
  • Sexual harassment and violence
  • Global systemic racism

We plan to hold the conference on site in Utrecht. We will stream keynotes and make some of the recordings of the presentations available online.

Instructions for submissions of abstracts

We are now inviting submissions for workshop presentations and panels on topics related to these themes, and aspects of equality law more generally.

Abstracts should not exceed 500 words and clearly indicate objectives and methodology. Please include a brief biography (max. 100 words, suitable for publication on the conference website), including affiliation and your email-address. We encourage applications from PhD/SJD candidates, postdoctoral fellows and individuals with significant practical experience of working to advance equality.

Panel submissions should include a title and an abstract for the entire panel as well as titles, abstracts, and author information for all papers. Each panel should contain between three and four papers. The panel can be submitted by any of the authors.

Please note that initial abstracts must be submitted in English, but we may be able to make some accommodation if you wish to present in another language at the conference. Please indicate this in your submission.

En Español

Por favor, tenga en cuenta que los resúmenes iniciales deberán enviarse en inglés, sin embargo podríamos considerar la posibilidad de que la presentación misma se realice en otro idioma durante la conferencia. Indíquelo en su envío. Gracias.

Timeline

The deadline for the submission of abstracts is 15 November 2022.

The abstracts will be reviewed by the conference committee and invitations to present will be sent out in January 2023. Either detailed outlines of the presentation, presentation slides or full papers will be due on 1 June 2023.

Finances

The conference organizers strive to keep the conference fee as low as possible. The fee will likely consist of 100 Euros per person, which can be waived if necessary. The conference organizers can regrettably not cover travel and accommodation.

Contact

The conference committee consists of:

Please send any queries relating to the Conference to BCCEUtrecht@uu.nl