After 40 years of the First Feminist Sessions in Valencia, the feminist continue declaring the urgency of reflect and share moments. The aim of the meeting is to celebrate the free and public existence of the Feminist movement in Valencia for 40 years.

The idea comes up from a group of feminist activist women from different entites and civic organisations, they are ready to continue defending and promoting the liberation of women oppressed by heteropatriarchal culture. In spite of the time spent -40 years of the first session- and also the fact that progress has been made in many aspects, there is still a long way to go in order to achieve a society free of violence against women, with equal rights, that guarantees the full life of women. This sessions pretend to be a meeting that facilitates exchanges, to know the different alternatives of struggles and portests, expressions and the different paths that are generated in the feminist area.

Activities
The sessions began on Monday, October 23 at 10.30 a.m. at the Faculty of Social Sciences with the inauguration by Inmaculada Verdeguer, vice-dean of Culture, Participation and Equality. Over three days, the faculty host from round tables that will be about “Feminism and Veganism”, “Women, precariousness and obesity” or “Free women in a world without borders” to the monologue 'Vaginas, shame and other experiences', the interactive talk “Queer policies and the coming materialism” or the talk of testimonies “Whores and feminists”.

The activities are moved to the historic building of La Nau on Thursday 26. The paraninfo of the Universitat de València will be the venue for a meeting between generations from 6 p.m. The main event of the session will be presided over by the general secretary of the Universitat de València, Mª José Añón and the director of the Equality Unit, Amparo Mañés. Professor Teresa Yeves is the responsible for making the historical overview through these 40 years of Valencian feminism with the main conference. Maria Escalona y Encarna Canet, two of the women who have participated in the organisation of the Feminist sessions will be the presenters and moderators of the conference.

After the opening ceremony, there will be a round table which pretend to be a intergeneratinoal meeting of several groups and women collectives coming from Castelló, Ontinyent, Xirivella or from la Casa de la Dona de Valencia. 

Just like 40 years ago, in those first sessions of 1977, the Universitat de València welcome again the celebration and organization of a Feminist Sessions. In those first sessions, It was the faculty of Economics where the First women sessions of valencia were celebrated. Now, 40 years after, in October 2017 the classrooms of the Faculty of Social Sciences and the Faculty of Language Studies, Translation and Communication during the weekend, will be the space to celebrate the different round tables and discussions.

 The Universitat de València expresses its commitment to equality with his contribuition ranging from classrooms, departments, faculties to develop feminist thought and research and to implement public policies for gender equality.

On Friday 27 it will be celebrated two round tables at the Faculty of Philosophy and Education Sciences. It will be in the afternoon and the topics will be the Feminism in the regional territory and the visibility of the creators of the performing arts.

On Saturday 28, the different activities will take place at the Faculty of Language Studies, Translation and Communication. Round tables around feminist action and futures strategies after the government pact against gender-based violence; a conference about Ecofeminism and another one about public policies from the geminist economy. The session will close at 8:45 p.m with the coloclown show “la Mar salá”

Among the parallel activities that will take place throughout the week in the different spaces, you can also find workshops of dance, sexuality, leadership, or historical memory, among others. In Addition, there will also be a feminist walk through the Valencia of the Republican women, or a tour of the graffiteras, a batukada, cineforums, screening and colloquiums. The music will also have its section with concerts starring by female artists.

Other spaces that host activities are The Musical theatre, el CSOA L'Horta (Benimaclet), Aragón Cinema, the hall of residence Rector Peset, and the Cabanyal-Canyamelar streets.

The programme can be consultated here .