Women in French Sessions
2025 South Atlantic Modern Language Association Conference
Atlanta, Georgia
November 6-8, 2025
https://southatlanticmla.org/
1.“Femmes écrivains à la croisée des savoirs / Women Writers at The Crossroads of Knowledge”
This panel aims to foster critical discussions on contemporary women writers who are at the crossroads of several cultures, languages and disciplines. Throughout the first 25 years of the 21st century, women writers have been responsible for ideas, concepts, and theories to circulate between literature, sociology, history, and academia. For instance, Kaoutar Harchi is a French-Moroccan novelist but also a sociologist who has written about Francophone Algerian writers; Nadia Yala Kisukidi is a French-Congolese philosopher writing about African philosophy but also a novelist exploring the theme of dissociation in her first novel taking place in France; Catherine Cusset is a French writer who wrote many essays and articles about 18th century culture and literature before publishing her autofictions, many of them taking place between France and the United States. The goal of this panel is to explore women writers who navigate different geographical spaces and cultures and therefore contribute to the circulation of knowledge in various disciplines. Please send abstracts (200-300 words) in French or in English by May 15, 2025 to Stève Puig (puigs@stjohns.edu)
2. “Other” Francophonies: French and Francophone Women Creators Reshaping the Field
French and francophone literature is a vast, continually evolving landscape. It has been transformed by an increasingly globalized world, as well as by an increased awareness of the effects of colonialism and post-colonialism. Currently, there is an increasingly visible presence of migrant/ immigrant authors and the voices of what one could consider “other francophonies”. This panel will examine the contributions of French and francophone women authors, filmmakers, and artists belonging to ethnic minorities and populations previously less prominent in the field. Possible questions for consideration: how is the work of ethnic minority women in French and francophone literature changing the literary landscape? How are these women creators pushing back against presumptions about their identities or their work? How can scholars better capture the diversity of this growing literary landscape of francophone literature incorporating, among others, francophone African, Caribbean, Oceanic, Québecois, East-Asian, and Eastern European authors? What role does gender play in subjects chosen by these women creators, and in the narrative and aesthetic strategies they employ in their works? How can teaching these “other francophonies” be a powerful pedagogical tool for helping students understand how knowledge is not a static commodity but a dynamic, collaborative process of mutual understanding and collective empowerment. Please send a 250-word abstract in English or French by May 15, 2025 to organizer: Cathy Leung (CLEUNG11@FORDHAM.EDU) along with presenter’s academic affiliation, contact information and A/V requirements.
3. Knowledge from the cracks
Striving for the liberation of the feminist subject, feminist studies have uncovered various strata of society.However, the perpetuation of class and privilege has unfortunately resulted in the continued replication of the hegemonic structures that feminism strives to dismantle. This contradiction suggests that the dominant power structures within feminism may control and manipulate the marginalized layers of society. The Enlightenment presents Marie-Antoinette’s invention of an expensive lifestyle, Louise d'Épinay’s invention of taste and refinement of fashion, Olympe de Gouges’ social reform that challenges conventional views and conception of the role of women as citizens, Émilie du Châtelet’s engagement with episteme, Angélique du Coudray’s pioneering midwifery, etc. Taste, art, fashion, care, style, and savoir-vivre have been within the dictates of the privileged. While their achievements are laudable, they show creativity within a single stratum of society. How about the paysanne, the slave, the servant, the marginal, the minority? These live in the periphery with minimal visibility but full creative capacity, concealed by their social condition. This panel seeks abstracts on how minority women have contributed to knowledge in French and Francophone literature. How have minority women developed episteme and/or adapted the popular culture to their invisibility, scarcity, marginality, and language? How do/have French and Francophone minority women writers, artists, painters, stylists, philosophers, theorists, filmmakers, etc., contribute(d) to knowledge? Send a 200-word abstract in French or English by 15th May 2025, to the organizer: Patience Odeh patience.odeh@uconn.edu, along with the presenter’s academic affiliation, contact information, and A/V requirements.
4. Women, Knowledge, and Cultural Creation in the Francophone World
This panel invites proposals exploring how women in French and Francophone contexts have produced, circulated, or contested knowledge in literature, film, media, or other cultural spheres. Papers might address how women’s intellectual labor has shaped scholarly, artistic, or community-based understandings of the world; the influence of social, political, or institutional forces on the dissemination of women’s ideas; or the role of gender in the creation, reception, and preservation of new or subversive knowledge. Approaches may include (but are not limited to) literary studies, visual and performing arts, translation studies, cultural anthropology, historical perspectives, or interdisciplinary reflections on women’s epistemological contributions. We especially welcome perspectives on underrepresented voices, marginalized communities, and creative expressions that illuminate the connections between women’s knowledge and social transformation. By featuring diverse methodologies and critical frameworks, this panel aims to foster a dynamic conversation on the evolving intersections of gender, power, and cultural production in Francophone spaces. Submit your abstracts (250 words) and short bio (100 words) in either French or English to annabelle.hicks@uconn.edu by May 15, 2025.
5. Roundtable: Colonialism’s Lasting Legacy: Gendered Power Dynamics in Postcolonial African Societies
We will explore the persistence of patriarchal traditions, the marginalization of women in postcolonial politics, and how colonial legacies still inform gender relations in contemporary African societies, calling for a reevaluation of postcolonial gender studies. The introduction of European colonialism and its gender norms imposed a new, Western-centric framework that redefined power and social roles, particularly through the creation of the "woman" as a category. A good example of these complexities is the reimagining of gender, in Oyeronke Oyewumi’s view, as a direct consequence of colonialism, reshaping social structures in ways that marginalized African women and created hierarchies based on Western ideals. Maria Lugones stated that the colonial distinction became a mark of the human and mark of civilization, she said “Only the civilized are men or women.” Some questions for discussion will include but are not limited to: how did colonialism alter the material and political structures of African societies and also deepen gender inequalities?
Submit your abstracts (250 words) and short bio (100 words) in either French or English to Diweng Mercy Dafong at mdafong@ua.edu. Submission deadline May 15, 2025.
6. Round table: Empowering students: Teaching French and Francophone Women Authors
French and Foreign Language Departments face increasing pressures on enrollment. At the same time, they are being charged with reevaluating their missions and methods in helping students acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in the 21st century workforce. Teaching French and Francophone women writers, authors, and filmmakers can be a powerful tool in reaching diverse student populations and bringing in students who might not have considered taking French. In a world dominated by men, French and Francophone women creators have had to find strategic, innovative, and compelling ways to make themselves visible and heard. This panel explores how the teaching of French and Francophone women authors can increase student interest while giving them the knowledge and skills to foster deeper interpersonal connections, advance social justice, and expand global consciousness. Possible questions for consideration: How can women authors draw power from the obstacles they face and use this force to create change in the arts, in politics, and in social and intellectual realities? How does studying French and Francophone women creators help students better understand the intricate social, cultural, and ideological dynamics in the world they are entering?
Please send a 250-word abstract in English or French by May 15, 2025 to organizer: Cathy Leung, CLEUNG11@FORDHAM.EDU along with presenter’s academic affiliation, contact information and A/V requirements.
