International Women’s Day 2009

International Conference in Gothenburg/Sweden – Why is Secularism Essential?

Organization for Women’s Liberation is organizing a one day conference in commemoration of 8 March, International women’s day on the impact of religion on the situation and status of women. Why is secularism essential? In this conference veteran women’s right activists and scholars are coming together to analyze the devastating effects of rise of religious movements and religion’s influence in the running of state in many countries on the situation of women: the effect of catholic church, orthodox church, Judaism and political Islam will be discussed.

We are pleased to announce that following organisations have supported our conference:
* Centre for Inquiry
* European Feminist Initiative
* International Network against Honour Crimes
* Women for Peace (Sweden)

Guest speakers so far confirmed:
* Homa Arjomand; coordinator of No Sharia Campaign; Canada/Iran
* Soad Baba Aissa; European Feminist Initiative; France/Algeria
* Imma Barbarossa; Partito della Rifondazione Communista, Italy
* Julie Bindle Journalist; a founder of feminist law reform NGO Justice for Women, and of the Feminist Coalition against Prostitution; England
* Malene Busk; women’s right activist, Center for Inquiry; Denmark
* Buthina Canaan Khoury; Film maker; Palestine
* Beth Ciesielski; Centre for Inquiry, Rumania/USA
* Hugo Esterla; Centre for Inquiry, Italy/Argentina
* Caroline Fourest; writer; columnist, activist and a Member of Libre Pense; France
* Maria Hagberg; MD in social work and chair of Network against Honour Crimes; Sweden
* Lilian Halls French; sociologist, President of the European Feminist Initiative; France
* Boriana Jonsson; Member of the Coordinating Committee of European Feminist Initiative, Bulgaria/Sweden
* Parvin Kaboli; coordinator of White Carnation; Sweden/Iran
* Khanum R. Lateef, manager Asuda women’s center Suleimania; Iraq/Kurdistan
* Azar Majedi; President of OWL, writer; England/Iran
* Azza Kamel Mohamed Abdel Meguid, Appropriate Communication Techniques for Development, ACT, Egypt
* Lia Nadaraia; President Feminist Club, Georgia
* Layla Naffa Hamarneh; Director of Projects Arab Women Organisation of Jordan
* Karim N. Noori; Mäns nätverk mot hedersförtryck, Sweden/Iran
* Frances Raday: Chair, Israeli Association for Freedom of Science, Religion and Culture; Israel
* Nina Sankari; Polish Rationalist Organisation and EFI Poland
* Sabine Salmon; President of Femmes Solidaires; France
* Lisa Sorush; women’s right activist; Afghanistan
* Susana Tampieri; writer, women’s right activist, Argentina
* Nawal Yazeji, researcher and activist on women issues, Syria

Moderator: Maryam Kousha; editor of Women’s Liberation,

We invite all concerned feminists, secularists and human right activists to participate in these events. We need to demonstrate a show of secularist force against religious inroads in the society.

Date: 7 March 2009
Venue: Folkets Hus Göteborg, Olof Palmes Plats, Järntorget
Admission: 100 SKr or 10 Euros

Details of the events will be published as soon as they become available.

For more information or to register please write to: Majedi.azar@gmail.com;

Phone:
Azar Majedi:+44 (0)7886973423
Shahla Nouri: +46(0)737262622

Medusahuset Göteborg
wlmedusahuset@gmail.com
maria.hagberg@minheder.nu

Or visit our website: http://www.womensliberation.net/