Workshop: Realising Sexual Rights, September 28 - 30, 2005

This focus well describes some of the consequences of the disregard for sexual rights that exists the world over. However, this negativity generates fear and disempowerment, and discourages us from seeing how we might be able to change our situations. Rather than focusing on pain, harm and wrongs, a more positive, pleasure-oriented, view of sexuality offers an entirely different set of entry points for work to make sexual rights real. This workshop aims to provide a space for thinking about the possibilities of such an approach, and its implications for development.

The workshop will include discussion of the following questions:

 What rights are activists and others in different developing countries demanding to do with sexuality?
 How should development relate to sexuality?
 Is the frame of sexual rights a useful one?
 What do people understand by sexual rights?
 How to be able to say yes to a happy sexuality of our choice which is safe in relation to HIV/AIDS, other STIs and violence?
 How do sensations and emotions motivate people into safer or riskier sex?
 How can we build on the power of pleasure to motivate safer sexualities?
 How can we promote well-being through sexual rights?
 How can we better explore the complex relationships between power and desire?

Aims of the workshop
 look at how to build on the power of pleasure to make possible happier, safer sexualities and greater well-being;
 explore and further develop understandings of sexual rights;
 debate and extend the links between sexual rights and development;
 make connections between practitioners and activists from around the world, to energise and inspire through sharing experiences and innovative practices;
 communicate the importance of sexual rights to development, through a series of targeted workshop outputs, with a wider audience of mainstream development actors.

Workshop numbers will be limited to ensure sufficient space for dialogue and discussion. Participants will be asked to share in advance of the workshop a short paper that addresses the links, gaps and challenges for linking sexuality, rights and development - either by giving an account of a particular experience, project or programme or deals with these questions at a more conceptual level, or in relation to a particular issue or set of issues.

Application Process

Application forms, together with an abstract of 150-250 words, should be submitted by May 20th 2005. Together with a panel of advisers, we will then select contributions based on achieving as diverse and innovative range of contributions as possible. Applicants will be notified by the end of April, so that there is sufficient time to apply for funding and make arrangements to travel.

Where, When and Other Details

The workshop will take place over three days from September 28th to 30th, 2005 at the Institute of Development Studies at Sussex University, Brighton, UK. A number of fellowships will be available to cover all travel and accommodation expenses and provide a few days at either side of the workshop for use of library resources, networking and writing.

Funding

Limited resources are available to support people without institutional backing, the bulk of which will be aimed at supporting the participation of people from the global south. Participants who work for donor agencies and international NGOs will be asked to meet their own travel and accommodation costs. Some support may be also available from local offices of foundations and bilateral donor agencies. Further details on costs and funding possibilities will be sent with confirmation of your participation.

Workshop Process, Papers and Outputs

The workshop itself will consist of a series of conversations based on contributors’ papers, from which themes will be drawn to structure our debates. There will be few formal presentations, but opportunities will exist for everyone’s contributions to be debated through a series of panels and discussants’ commentaries.

We hope that one of the outcomes of the workshop will be an IDS policy briefing and some kind of collection of the workshop papers that will be aimed at a readership from the development mainstream, as well as electronic and other resources to be shared more widely with practitioners and activists working on sexual rights. The language of the workshop will be English, but provision might be made depending on numbers for other languages. In order to pre-circulate contributions prior to the workshop, we will need to receive draft papers by August 31st 2005.

To apply...

If you would like to attend, please email Jenny Edwards for an application form, and send together with a short abstract for the paper you might write for the workshop.

Participants will be asked to share in advance of the workshop a short paper that addresses the links, gaps and challenges for linking sexuality, rights and development - either by telling the story of a particular experience, project or programme, or discussing a particular issue or set of issues. Abstracts for these contributions (of around 150-250 words, preferably in English, but also accepted in French, Chinese, Spanish and Portuguese) and the booking form should be sent to Jenny Edwards by May 20th 2005.