Friday 6 December 2019

The radical feminist potential of civil partnerships

Civil partnerships have enormous feminist potential: They avoid the special-day sexism of many weddings, formalise a relationship of equals, and give the parties rhetorical leverage whenever there's creeping gender inequality. 
But they've also kick-started a public conversation about the need for cohabitation law reform to ensure social policy keeps up with the reality of modern families. And, perhaps most importantly, by ending the unrivalled position of marriage, they widen the space for deeper discussions about giving legal recognition to other types of personal and caring relationships, such as those between friends, siblings and co-parents, as well as alternative sexual relationships.
Read my op-ed in iNews if you want to know more!

https://inews.co.uk/inews-lifestyle/people/civil-partnerships-mixed-sex-hetrosexual-couples-new-years-eve-1333723

Friday 8 November 2019

I've joined the Expert Panel of the Wrisk Project

I'm excited to announce that I've joined the Expert Panel of the Wrisk Project. For those who don't know, Wrisk is a collaboration between the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (bpas) and Heather Trickey at the School of Social Sciences at Cardiff University.

Working with stakeholders from a wide range of disciplines, the project draws on women’s experiences to understand and improve the development and communication of risk messages in pregnancy.

The project runs for two years from November 2018 to November 2020. In the first year, Wrisk conducted an extensive survey and interviews to gather women’s experiences of risk messaging. From January 2020, the Expert Panel will discuss the results, using a consensus methodology, and consider what lessons to draw from women’s experiences.

Stakeholders on the Expert Panel include scientists, public health and risk communication specialists, women’s advocacy groups, and specialists in women’s sexual and reproductive health - and me! This work will lead to the development of recommendations for respectful risk communication in pregnancy.

The project is funded by the Wellcome Trust.

Friday 8 March 2019

Speaking about civil partnerships at "Beyond Marriage" conference at the University of Cambridge in May

I'm really looking forward to contributing to the discussion at this forthcoming conference "Beyond Marriage" at the University of Cambridge at the end of May. I'll be discussing my experiences as co-claimant in Charlie Keidan's and my successful Judicial Review challenge of the ongoing ban on mixed-sex civil partnerships in the UK.  

Here are the details: 

"Beyond Marriage: Philosophy, Politics Law" conference
24-25 May 2019, University of Cambridge
Convenor: Clare Chambers, University of Cambridge


There have been significant changes to the institution of marriage in recent years, with many countries introducing same-sex marriage, civil partnerships, and other forms of non-traditional union. For some, marriage is a central institution that must be protected, for others it is inevitably unjust and should be abolished. This conference will bring together academics and practitioners from philosophy, politics, and law to debate what lies beyond marriage.

Speakers:
-Samia Bano, Law, SOAS
-Elizabeth Brake, Philosophy, Arizona State University
-Clare Chambers, Philosophy, University of Cambridge
-Baroness Lynne Featherstone (Lib Dem), former Minister of State
-Andrew Harrop, General Secretary, Fabian Society 
-Tim Loughton MP (Con)
-Jo Miles, Law, University of Cambridge
-Rebecca Steinfeld, Claimant in Steinfeld and Keidan v. Secretary of State
-Lori Watson, Philosophy, University of San Diego
-Robert Wintemute, Law, KCL

Chairs: Jude Browne, Clare Chambers, Tom Dougherty, Findlay Stark, Ralph Wedgwood

Bookings are now open here: http://www.crassh.cam.ac.uk/events/27903

Thursday 21 February 2019

'Campaigning for (circumcision) change: some ideas for the UK' - upcoming talk at the University of Leeds

I'm excited to be speaking at this conference on genital cutting at the University of Leeds at the end of April. 

My talk - 'Campaigning for (circumcision) change: some ideas for the UK' - draws on my experiences and insights campaigning for equal civil partnerships. In it, I will suggest what I consider to be the most attainable and measurable objective for change; consider the feasibility, and potential advantages, of running a Judicial Review case aimed at challenging the unequal legal treatment of girls’ and boys’ genitals; explore how such a case could complement a broader political campaign; consider the limitations of legal challenges and changes; identify the merits of differing campaign messages (equality and human rights versus child protection, for example); and suggest some avenues for fundraising. 


If you'd like to hear more from me and from an incredible group of academics, lawyers, doctors and activists about why a commitment to child's rights means extending protections to the genitals of male and intersex children too, please do come along. Hope to see you there.


Here is a link to eventbrite to book tickets.