April 24-29, 2008

The war in Iraq has dramatically altered the political arena in the U.S., making it a key issue for debate in Washington, D.C. and potentially a pivotal concern in the 2008 presidential elections.  Most discussions of the war have focused on the politics behind the military action as well as the human costs. There has been little sustained debate on the role women, sexuality and gender politics have played in the lead up to the war, in combat zones, or in their aftermath.

This symposium was designed to highlight how women and men experience war differently, and the impact wars have on society. In particular, participants will explore how gender operates in all aspects pertaining to war – the preparations leading up to war, the battlefield, the aftermath, and resistance movements. War tends to been seen as the work of men while women are considered victims, bearing the impact in their capacity as mothers, sisters, wives and daughters.  This symposium was designed to break down these stereotypes and unmask the realities.

Events included lectures, theatre performances, film screenings and panel discussions.  Co-sponsors fo the events included the Program in Women and Gender Studies,  Chellis House, the Office for Institutional Diversity, the Academic Enrichment Fund, the Departments of Geography and History, the Program in American Studies’ Spiegel Family Fund, the Rohatyn Center for International Affairs and the Scott Center for Spiritual and Religious Life.