Avsnitt
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In this episode, Asha Metcalfe and Sophie Biancelli are joined by Dr Isabelle Higgins, a sociologist at the University of Cambridge, to discuss how online culture reflects and perpetuates systems of power and inequality. We explore how epistemic and affective structures influence aesthetics, visibility and representation.
Drawing on Stuart Hall’s theory of regimes of representation, and conjunctural analysis, we explore how visibility online today is mediated by histories of inequality. How do online representations of adopted children of colour today reflect colonial legacies? How does generative AI reinforce systems of oppression? Does the rise of Sabrina Carpenter and Addison Rae suggest we live in a post-feminist world?
Isabelle demonstrates how sociological theory can be used to explore these questions and examine what online cultural products, from adoption websites to music videos, reveal about our society.
To clarify, the point on Bourdieu and Wacquant's three types of reflexivity refers to:
1) social origins and coordinates of the individual research, 2) the academic field – ‘the objective space of possible intellectual positions offered to him or her’, 3) the ‘intellectualist bias which invites us to consider the world as a spectacle’ (Bourdieu & Wacquant, 1992:39)
Isabelle Higgins' Work:
Early research into adoption and the internet - Higgins, I. (2024). Classified children: A critical analysis of the digital interfaces and representations that mediate adoption in the United States. New Media & Society, 26(11), 6597-6614.
Reflection on archival research - Higgins, I. (2025) ‘Complex Connections: Coloniality, embodiment and children of colour in the archives’ Decolonizing Bodies, Eds. Carolyn Ureña & Saiba Varma; Bloomsbury Academic Press.
Co-authored writing on AI with colleagues at the department of Sociology - Baert, P., Dorschel, R., Hall, M., Higgins, I., McPherson, E., & Philip, S. (2026). Dialogues Towards Sociologies of Generative AI. Social Science Computer Review, 44(1), 59-79.
People and concepts mentioned:
Other sources mentioned:
Stuart Hall on Conjunctural Analysis - link to talk here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHpht1nNtB0&t=1s and transcript here https://www.mediaed.org/transcripts/Stuart-Hall-Through-the-Prism-of-an-Intellectual-Life-Transcript.pdf
Laura Briggs on adoption imagery - Briggs, L. (2003). Mother, child, race, nation: The visual iconography of rescue and the politics of transnational and transracial adoption. Gender & History, 15(2), 179-200.
Julian Go - the beginning of sociology as a discipline - Go, J. 2013. ‘The Emergence of American Sociology in the Context of Empire’. In Sociology & Empire: The Imperial Entanglements of a Discipline, edited by George Steinmetz, 83–103. Durham, NC: Duke University Press.
Bourdieu/Waquant - social coordinates of a researcher - Wacquant, L. J., & Bourdieu, P. (1992). An invitation to reflexive sociology University of Chicago Press.
Linda Tuhiwai Smith - “Get the story right and tell the story well” - Smith, L. T. (2012). Decolonizing methodologies: Research and indigenous peoples (2nd ed.). Zed Books
Sara Ahmed - ‘histories that stick’ - Ahmed, S. (2004). Collective feelings: Or, the impressions left by others. Theory, culture & society, 21(2), 25-42.
Gustavo H. Dalaqua - Aesthetic injustice
Kanai and Gill - Kanai, A., & Gill, R. (2020). Woke? Affect, neoliberalism, marginalised identities and consumer culture. New Formations, 102(102), 10-27.
Francesca Sobande on CGI influencers - Sobande, F. (2021). Spectacularized and Branded Digital (Re)presentations of Black People and Blackness. Television & New Media, 22(2), 131-146.
Angela McRobbie - Postfeminism - McRobbie, A. (2004). Post‐feminism and popular culture. Feminist media studies, 4(3), 255-264.
Briony Hannell - fandom - Hannell, Briony. 2023. Feminist Fandom: Media Fandom, Digital Feminisms, and Tumblr. Bloomsbury.
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Dans notre premier épisode en français, Astrid Carrasco et Helena Kondak s’entretiennent avec Perrine Lachenal, anthropologue chargée de recherche au CNRS et co-coordinatrice de l’axe thématique « Chantiers féministes » au Centre Norbert Elias. La chercheuse a coordonné une ethnographie multi-située menée par une grande équipe de chercheurs sur le procès des viols de Mazan; une affaire qui “tient à la fois de l’ordinaire et de l’extraordinaire, l’histoire d’une femme, comme tant d’autres, violée par un homme : son mari. L’affaire est inédite par son ampleur et sa matérialité sordide : ces viols ont été filmés, (mais aussi parce que) Gisèle Pelicot fait partie des victimes qui ont porté plainte, bénéficié d’une enquête, obtenu un procès sans huis clos et des condamnations.”
Dans l’épisode, nous cherchons à comprendre ce que l’anthropologie révèle sur cette affaire et sur la justice, ce que le journalisme ne peut pas. Nous envisageons l’importance de parler de cette affaire à la fois comme un “événement” singulier et comme une réflexion sur un continuum de violences et de voyeurisme.
Comment envisager le procès et le tribunal comme des objets d’étude sociale ?
Comment habiter ces espaces en tant que chercheuses, et les écrire à plusieurs ?
Pour tout commentaire ou suggestion / for any comments, contact : [email protected]
or DM our Instagram : @the_feminist_files_
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The Gisèle Pélicot case: an anthropology of the ordinary with Perrine Lachenal
In our first episode in French, Astrid Carrasco and Helena Kondak talk to Perrine Lachenal, an anthropologist and research fellow at the CNRS and co-coordinator of the ‘Feminist Projects’ research theme at the Centre Norbert Elias. Lachenal coordinated the work of a large team of researchers on multi-sited ethnography of the Mazan rape trial, a case that “is both ordinary and extraordinary: the story of a woman, like so many others, raped by a man: her husband. The case is unprecedented in its scale and sordid nature: these rapes were filmed, but also because Gisèle Pelicot is one of the victims who filed a complaint, benefited from an investigation, secured a trial held in open court, and obtained convictions.”
In this episode, we seek to understand what anthropology allows us to grasp differently from journalism and the justice system when faced with such a case: why speak of a singular “event”, which nevertheless reflects a continuum of violence and voyeurism? How might we view the trial and the court as subjects of social study? How might we inhabit these spaces as researchers and write about them collectively?
For any comments or suggestions, contact: [email protected]
or DM our Instagram: @the_feminist_files_
Credits:
Hosted by Helena Kondak and Astrid Carrasco
Joined by Perrine Lachenal
Edited by Astrid Carrasco
Cover design by Madeleine Baber
Music by Jacob Carey
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Saknas det avsnitt?
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In this episode, Isobelle speaks to Elaine Banton, a barrister at 7BR Chambers specialising in employment, equality and discrimination. The discussion begins with a discussion of Elaine’s recent appellate success in the case Pal v Accenture. This case tackled disability discrimination and workplace progression systems, leading us into a broader consideration on how workplace models are frequently hostile and unaccommodating to those experiencing endometriosis and other chronic conditions. Elaine emphasises how these existing frameworks frequently lead to structural problems becoming individualised.
We also discuss endometriosis more generally in this episode, talking about ‘medical misogyny’, and why women’s pain is so often normalised or dismissed, and what approaches may be taken to address and change this. The discussion concludes with a reflection on AI biases in government decisions and the importance of building guardrails and fairness into systems proactively rather than retroactively addressing harms.
Directly pertaining to the discussion in the episode, a recent petition, created by Sanju Pal, has called for gynaecological conditions to be listed as impairments in the Equality Act 2010 Guidance on Disability.
More information on the petition can be found here:
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/761186
Find coverage of Elaine’s success in the case here:
https://www.7br.co.uk/2026/02/elaine-banton-successfully-wins-appeal-in-the-employment-appeal-tribunal-in-pal-v-accenture-uk/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/elaine-banton/
Sources used for this episode:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/696e07ac5a37ab534a9e235f/Ms_S_Pal_v_Accenture__UK__Ltd__2026__EAT_12.pdf
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/endometriosis/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy9y9lrwxqgo
https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/328/women-and-equalities-committee/news/212280/improving-menstrual-health-must-be-prioritised-in-womens-health-strategy-and-wider-nhs-reforms-wec-says/
https://www.endometriosis-uk.org/press-release-time-end-stigma
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2drw8l80no
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cm2kke1jn8xo
https://bigbrotherwatch.org.uk/press-releases/37614/
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024/dec/06/revealed-bias-found-in-ai-system-used-to-detect-uk-benefits#:~:text=Neither%20did%20it%20reveal%20whether,prevent%20fraudsters%20gaming%20the%20system
Episode edited by Rowan Berkley
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On today’s episode, Asha Metcalfe and Rosie Hillary speak to Sveto Muhammad Ishoq, a women’s rights advocate, TEDx Speaker, and social enterprise founder who works to empower Afghan women economically and amplify their voices on the global stage. We discuss how media representations of Afghan women distort the reality of their experience, and unpack the importance of Sveto’s own project Chadari, which aims to reframe the hijab narrative. Sveto emphasises the importance of speaking and listening to Afghan women to reframe biased narratives.
We explore the connection between peace and education, and discuss the importance of Afghan women-led peacekeeping from the diaspora. We consider the strength and agency of Afghan women both in Afghanistan, and among the diaspora despite Taliban rule. We conclude by discussing recommendations for the international community to ensure support for women’s rights in Afghanistan is led by grassroots organisations and centres Afghan women themselves.
Find Sveto’s work listed below:
Chadari Project https://www.instagram.com/chadariproject/?hl=en
Building Peace from Afar: Women-Led Peacekeeping from the Diaspora:
https://digital.sandiego.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1116&context=ipj-research
Sveto’s TEDxLSE Talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/sveto_muhammad_ishoq_the_untold_truth_about_afghan_women
Organisations mentioned in the episode:
Aseel app: https://aseelapp.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoph9RqPXg8NyjUTJUVAP_DbH4qvl9L8-vdjvHvroPTXx9W8cdWi
Learn afghanistan: https://learnafghan.org/
Muska app: https://www.muska-app.com/
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In this episode of The Feminist Files, Helena and Astrid are joined by Delphine O, the former French Ambassador and Secretary General of the 4th Conference on Feminist Foreign Policies.
They explored Delphine O's exceptional career trajectory as the first person ever to lead and represent France's feminist diplomacy in multilateral and bilateral relations. She gave them insights into the inner workings of the French foreign ministry, international feminist collaboration, and critiques of feminist diplomacy.
They also discussed the unique challenges and structures of the growing transnational backlash movements, as well as the tools feminist diplomacy has to combat them.
For any comments or suggestions, please get in touch via
[email protected] or on Instagram: @the_feminist_files_
Credits
Hosted by Helena Kondak and Astrid Healy-Carrasco
Joined by Delphine O
Edited by Rowan Berkley
Cover design by Madeleine Baber
Music by Jacob Carey
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In this episode of The Feminist Files, Helena sits down with Dr Maria-Andriani Kostopoulou, President of GREVIO: the Council of Europe’s independent monitoring body for the Istanbul Convention.
As the leading mechanism ensuring that states uphold their commitments to combat violence against women and domestic violence, GREVIO occupies a crucial role.
President Kostopoulou give her insights on how GREVIO evaluates states, issues recommendations, and navigates political resistance.
The conversation explores the deeper philosophical and political stakes of justice. Drawing on her powerful insight that “justice can become blind to truth when it does not consider emotions,” Dr Kostopoulou explains why listening to victims, beyond case files and formal procedures, is essential to achieving real accountability.
Helena and Dr Kostopoulou also unpack some of the most pressing challenges facing gender equality today:
The backlash against the Istanbul Convention, including controversies such as Latvia’s attempted withdrawalThe rise of reactionary and anti-gender ideologies across EuropeThe growing threat of cyberviolence and online misogynyPersistent barriers to justice, from underfunded systems to widespread impunityFor any comments or suggestions, please get in touch via
[email protected] or on Instagram : @the_feminist_files_
Credits
Hosted by Helena Kondak
Joined by Maria-Andriani Kostopoulou,
Edited by Rowan Berkley
Cover design by Madeleine Baber
Music by Jacob Carey
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In this episode, Rosie Hillary and Sophie Biancelli are joined by Rida Fatima, an intersectional feminist writer currently working at the Asian University for Women. Together, they discuss both the Rohingya crisis and Taliban rule in Afghanistan from an intersectional feminist perspective, questioning Western assumptions about what it means to be a refugee and a woman in the Global South. They focus on the opportunities which education can offer the women who are most affected by these these crises, particularly those living in refugee camps today.
To read more of Rida's work, follow the links below!
https://dirtychai.substack.com/
https://www.instagram.com/ridax16/
https://clandestinemagazine.com/the-rohingya-crisis-from-my-bedroom/
Follow The Feminist Files on instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/the_feminist_files_/
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https://substack.com/@thefeministfiles
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In this episode, Isobelle Oppon is joined by Dr Elly Hanson, a clinical psychologist and research lead at Fully Human whose work and research focuses on reducing abuse, trauma and sexual exploitation. The Feminist Files also welcomes back Ella Perkin and Sam McQuaker from the Cambridge society, Coalition Against Sexual Exploitation (CASE). We discuss the problematic rhetorics of sex positivity that obscure coercion, and the psychological effects of sexual exploitation, in particular the notion of shame. We also talk about the upcoming CASE conference which will be held on the 7th of April and Ella and Sam’s motivations and goals related to the event.
Cambridge Women’s Aid: 01223 361214 or via email at [email protected].uk
Cambridge Rape Crisis Centre: 01223 245 888 or via [email protected].uk
Rape Crisis England and Wales, Rape and Sexual Abuse 24/7 support line: 0808 500 2222
Elly Hanson’s work and the three essays she mentions:
https://fullyhuman.org.uk
The upcoming (free) CASE conference:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/case-conference-breaking-the-silence-tickets-1981565733451?aff=oddtdtcreator
Scrub the Stigma:
https://www.scrubthestigma.com
Naked Truth Project:
https://nakedtruthproject.com/get-educated/
Episode edited by Rowan Berkley
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In this episode, “Iran : Roots of Resistance”, Asha Metcalfe and Astrid Healy Carrasco are joined by Iranian activist Zolal Habibi to discuss the current state of Iranian resistance politics and its generational heritage.
Given current military and political developments, the episode starts with much-needed context from Zolal, but also with insights into the current Iranian resistance movement. She details exactly how it differs from previous waves of opposition. She develops her insights on the Iranian culture of resistance, with particular attention given to the women that give life to popular opposition.
Looking to the future, Zolal argues against Western interventionism, including in potential support for a return to monarchy. Instead, she highlights the resistance’s 10 point roadmap for a democratic Iran. The Iranian revolution must be fashioned by and for Iranians and their freedom.
For any comments or suggestions, please get in touch via
[email protected] or on Instagram : @the_feminist_files_
Credits
Hosted by Asha Metcalfe and Astrid Healy Carrasco
Joined by Zolal Habibi
Edited by Rowan Berkley
Cover design by Madeleine Baber
Music by Jacob Carey
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In this episode, we discuss the socialist origins of International Women’s Day, how it has developed over time, and how it has been co-opted for corporate gain today. Exploring examples of pink washing and virtue signalling, we interrogate what ‘International Women’s Day’ really means for us today. Acknowledging the ongoing institutional inequality experienced by women, we reflect upon how we can feel hope for the future in our own lives. We explore how feminist inspiration is found through art, friendships and everyday conversations.
https://substack.com/home/post/p-189983269 “Why IWD needs a complete rethink”
https://shapetalent.com/glass-ceilings-and-sticky-floors-why-women-are-overworked-and-undervalued/ “Glass ceilings and sticky floors - why women are overworked and undervalued”
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/mar/08/womens-protest-sparked-russian-revolution-international-womens-day Socialist History of IWD
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In this episode, Asha Metcalfe and Rosie Hillary are joined by Eilis Boden and Jess Martins to discuss what it is like to be a woman in the creative industries. We investigate stereotypes imposed upon women, such as ‘women aren’t funny’ and ‘women can’t take a joke’, and unpack the harm caused when those generalisations are internalised.
By looking at the comedy scene in and beyond Cambridge, we explore the way in which the male experience being regarded as universal impacts how and when women are ‘allowed’ to be funny. We also turn to the music industry, thinking about how songwriting can act as a form of emotional processing, and discuss why female ‘pop icons’ often face stigma for displaying vulnerability. Interrogating the concept of the ‘internalised male gaze’, we ask how societal perception shapes the way these women view their work and their place in the creative industries?
Go watch Eilis in her upcoming shows!
11th-13th March - Four Sketches and a Funeral https://www.adctheatre.com/whats-on/comedy/four-sketches-and-a-funeral/
19th-21st March - Rushed Hour https://www.adctheatre.com/whats-on/comedy/rushed-hour/
Listen to Jess Martins on Spotify here… https://open.spotify.com/artist/4AqSqzn0lwECIcgbXSKyyJ
… and keep up with her new releases on Instagram!
https://www.instagram.com/jesssmartinsss
Follow the Feminist Files on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_feminist_files_
Follow the Feminist Files on Substack: https://substack.com/@thefeministfiles
Episode edited by Rowan Berkley
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Faith Cunningham speaks with Kwaku Adomako about heteronationalism, colonialism and Ghana's 2021 "Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill." They discuss how anti-LGBTQ+ legislation reshapes Ghanaian cultural identity and the role of political actors in framing sexual and gender diversity as a national threat.
NOTE: The NDC should be referred to as the National Democratic Congress.
Read Kwaku's work:
Adomako, K. (2022). An Overwhelming Consensus? How Moral Panics About Sexual and Gender Diversity Help Reshape Local Traditions in Ghana. Politique africaine, 168(4), 75-94. https://doi.org/10.3917/polaf.168.0075
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In this episode, Helena Kondak is joined by Professor Shazia Choudhry (University of Oxford) to discuss her two-year comparative European research project on how justice systems and family law deal with domestic abuse cases.
Drawing on extensive work with women’s rights organisations and key stakeholders across England & Wales, France, Spain, Italy, and Bosnia & Herzegovina, the research exposes how survivors often face secondary traumatisation within legally sanctioned processes.
We unpack how narrow legal understandings of violence, procedural barriers, and the growing reliance on concepts like “parental alienation” systematically discredit mothers and silence survivors, even where abuse is well-documented.
Placing family law in conversation with human rights obligations under the ECHR and the Istanbul Convention, this episode asks what states are required to do to truly protect women and children, and why current systems can fail to do so.
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Get in touch with us :
For any responses, comments, or suggestions, please get in touch via [email protected], or on Instagram @the_feminist_files_
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Credits
Hosted by Helena Kondak
Joined by Professor Shazia Choudhry
Edited by Rowan Berkley
Cover design by Madeleine Baber
Music by Jacob Carey
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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In this episode, Helena Kondak, Astrid Carrasco and Isobelle Oppon interview Dr Daisy Dixon, philosophy professor at the University of Cardiff, for insights on her embodied experience of AI assault.
What does the Grok sexual image generation scandal say of emerging digital violence, its impact on vulnerable bodies, and necessary legislation?
Analysing the onset of Grok AI image-generation in recent weeks, Dr Dixon grounds her interpretation of new tech, sexist and sexual violence in the philosophical concept of “aesthetic injustice”. Dr Dixon insists on understanding the physical impacts produced by images, inducing new forms of digital age dysphoria.
From concepts to law, this episode dissects how new digital laws are debated, from accusations of restricting free speech to concerns about weak law implementation.
References:
Klein and D’Ignazio, Data feminism, 2024
Bates, Laura, The New Age of Sexism: How the AI Revolution is Reinventing Misogyny, 2025.
Dalaqua, Gustavo H. “Aesthetic injustice.” Journal of Aesthetics & Culture 12.1 (2020).
Dixon, Daisy, and Tom Roberts. “Review of Dominic McIver Lopes: Aesthetic Injustice.” Ethics (2026).
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Get in touch with us :
For any responses, comments, or suggestions, please get in touch via [email protected], or on Instagram @the_feminist_files_
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Credits
Hosted by Helena Kondak, Astrid Carrasco & Isobelle Oppon
Joined by Dr Daisy Dixon
Edited by Rowan Berkley
Cover design by Madeleine Baber
Music by Jacob Carey
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In this episode, Asha Metcalfe and Rosie Hillary sit down with Lauren Sayers and Rosie Freeman after the debate: This House Would Abolish Prisons, held by Gender Agenda, the University of Cambridge’s largest feminist collective.
In our first episode out in the field (breaking free from the recording studio), we are joined by two fellow Human, Social, and Political Science students to discuss abolitionism, crime, and systems of power and oppression. We move beyond the prison system to discuss theorists like Michel Foucault, Judith Butler, and Max Weber to explore the ways power and surveillance can be theorised in society. We apply these theories to our lives to examine how relationships and institutions are impacted by systems of power and control. What do we gain from understanding these topics? What is the benefit of social critique?
If you are interested in our discussion, consider reading:
The Right to Sex by Amia Srinivasan
Experiments in Imagining Otherwise by Lola Olufemi
The New Spirit of Capitalism by Luc Boltanski and Ève Chiapello
Decolonial Feminism in Anya Yala: Caribbean, Meso, and Southern American Contributions and Challenges by Espinosa, Lugones and Maldonado Torres - particularly the chapter by Iris Hernandez Morales
If you enjoyed this episode, please follow us on Instagram and Substack!
https://www.instagram.com/the_feminist_files_/
https://substack.com/@thefeministfiles
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We have been nominated for the Political Podcast Awards' People’s Choice Award, please vote for us here: https://politicalpodcastawards.co.uk/the-peoples-choice-award/
In this episode, we explore commercial sexual exploitation: its specificities, how it can be combated, and its evolving technological manifestations. In an era of rapid digital expansion, how can feminist organising and policy-making respond to this growing form of misogynistic violence?
Drawing on eighteen years of experience across research institutions, frontline child protection services, and policy-making, Gemma Kelly unpacks the perverse dynamics of commercial sexual exploitation and its increasingly digital nature. Her work highlights the centrality of structural change, particularly through legislative and regulatory interventions, in addressing exploitation at its roots.
This conversation probes the contradictions at the heart of feminist debates: how can we reconcile individual choice with structural misogynistic violence? Can the former ever truly be disentangled from the latter?
We also discuss attempts to regulate the online space, often perceived as opaque and impenetrable, where regulatory efforts frequently fall short despite mounting harms.
About the Guest
Gemma Kelly is a Policy Consultant at the SERP Institute (Sexual Exploitation Research and Policy Institute), Ireland’s only independent research body dedicated to the study of sexual exploitation.
Throughout her career, she has worked on combatting human trafficking and addressing sexual exploitation in both online and offline contexts, with a particular focus on women’s rights, gender-based violence, and child rights.
She holds an MA in Human Trafficking, Migration and Organised Crime from St Mary’s University, an MA in Equality Studies from University College Dublin, and a BA in Social Care from Dublin Institute of Technology.
Get in Touch
If you’d like to respond to something discussed in this episode or propose an episode of your own, get in touch via email at [email protected] or on Instagram @the_feminist_files.
Credits
Hosted by Helena Kondak and Astrid Healy Carrasco
Joined by Gemma Kelly
Edited by Rowan Berkley
Cover design by Madeleine Baber
Music by Jacob Carey
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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In this episode, hosts Asha Metcalfe and Rosie Hillary are joined by Reese Marley Robinson, a recent Cambridge graduate, to discuss her sociology dissertation exploring the lived experiences of Black girls in Britain’s private schools. Drawing on interviews and her own experiences, Reese explains the “affective cost of inclusion” and the emotional labour of navigating elite, predominantly white institutions which marginalise the experiences of racial minorities. We discuss topics like misogynoir, structural racism, code-switching, hair politics, and the racialised politics of visibility. We explore how Black peer networks can be sites of resistance and care, and talk about what meaningful institutional change could look like for Britain’s education system.
Here are some readings that are related to our discussion!
Anti-Community: The Kitchen & Our Cooked Community https://radicalblackbrits.substack.com/p/anti-community-the-kitchen-and-ourThe Brixton Balck Women’s Group https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/lsereviewofbooks/2024/07/30/book-review-speak-out-the-brixton-black-womens-group-milo-miller/Farleigh’s Place: Wealth, Privilege and Whiteness by Reese Marley Robinson https://www.thecambridgestudent.co.uk/culture/farleighs-place-wealth-privilege-and-whitenessLewis, Amanda E., 1970-. Race in the Schoolyard : Negotiating the Color Line in Classrooms and Communities. New Brunswick, N.J. :Rutgers University Press, 2003.Nash, J.C. (2019). Black Feminism Reimagined: After Intersectionality. Duke University Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv111jhd0Carby, Hazel V. (1982) ‘White woman listen!: Black feminism and the boundaries of sisterhood’ in Centre for Contemporary Cultural StudiesDavis, Angela (2016) Freedom is a Constant Struggle Chicago: Haymarket Books.Episode Edited by Rowan Berkley
Vote for us in People’s Choice Awards 2026:
https://politicalpodcastawards.co.uk/the-peoples-choice-award/
Follow The Feminist Files on instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/the_feminist_files_/
Follow The Feminist Files Substack:
https://substack.com/@thefeministfiles
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In this episode, Helena Kondak is joined by Zoe Abrams, DPhil student in Sociology at the University of Oxford, to discuss her latest work: Explaining Societal Shifts in Victim Blaming and Perpetrator Culpability for Sexual Violence: Evidence From the #MeToo Era.
Abrams studied Politics and Sociology at the University of Cambridge before pursuing an MSci in Sociology at the University of Oxford, where she was awarded the A. H. Halsey Prize for Best Performance. She is now pursuing a DPhil in Sociology, focusing on the gender gap in political mobilisation among young people.
During the interview, Abrams and I discussed whether individuals reacted to the shift in public discourse concerning sexual violence after the MeToo movement in the same way that institutions did. Zoe's focus on Scotland was crucial to understanding how feminist politics and influence in policy-making led to Scotland being the only country to collect data on attitudes towards sexual violence.
"From the founding of the Scottish Parliament, the feminist movements were there, framing the key issues and collecting data on attitudes towards women".
Here is a list of the resources mentioned in the episode:
Diana E. H. Russell, & Howell, N. (1983). The Prevalence of Rape in the United States Revisited. Signs, 8(4), 688–695. http://www.jstor.org/stable/3173690
Wilson, L. C., & Miller, K. E. (2015). Meta-Analysis of the Prevalence of Unacknowledged Rape. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 17(2), 149-159. https://doi.org/10.1177/1524838015576391 (Original work published 2016).
Want to respond to something said in this episode? Or propose an episode of your own? Get in touch via email: [email protected] or via Instagram: @the_feminist_files
You can also find us on Instagram: @the_feminist_files
Credits:
Hosted by Helena Kondak
Joined by Zoe Abrams
Edited by Rowan Berkley
Cover design by Madeleine Baber
Music by Jacob Carey
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Women’s college-level football has recently taken the form of an informal intercollegiate league following the banning of transgender women from participation in college-affiliated league matches, in line with the UK Supreme Court ruling earlier this year. What are captains, colleges and Cambridge University doing in light of this legislative pressure? What does this mean for inclusivity and the future of women’s football as a whole? Faith Cunningham discusses this sensitive and complex issue with guests Lara and Tia, members of the college women's football league.
For any welfare concerns, please get in contact with Louisa, the CUAFC Welfare Officer. If you have any questions or comments, please email [email protected].uk
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In this episode, we are joined by Sam McQuaker and Ella Perkin, founders of Cambridge society, Coalition Against Sexual Exploitation (CASE) to discuss impact and institutionalisation of sexual exploitation. We discuss perspectives on topics like porn and the decriminalisation of sex work, and question how existing institutions need to be reconfigured for gender and sexual equality to be achieved. This episode discusses themes of sexual exploitation and abuse which may be distressing to some listeners. If you have experienced sexual violence or abuse, consider reaching out to a trusted support service or helpline in your area for assistance.
Cambridge Women’s Aid: 01223 361214 or via email at [email protected].uk Cambridge Rape Crisis Centre: 01223 245 888 or via [email protected] Crisis England and Wales, Rape and Sexual Abuse 24/7 support line: 0808 500 2222Galop run a helpline for LGBTQ+ survivors of sexual violence: 0800 999 5428Here are links to any articles or reports we mention in the podcast:
Takedown: Inside the Fight to Shut Down Pornhub for Child Abuse, Rape, and Sex Trafficking, Leila Mickelwait https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/Takedown-by-Laila-Mickelwait/9780593542019?srsltid=AfmBOooCumndxCQkyq7crODi-8drrXZRhj30cBPSsqjWZkrF5t59hCQL
Hot Money Podcast: https://www.ft.com/hot-money
Children’s Commissioner, Children’s Experiences of the Online World:
https://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/resource/ive-seen-horrible-things-childrens-experiences-of-the-online-world/
Lost Boys Report:
https://www.centreforsocialjustice.org.uk/library/lost-boys
The Online Degradation of Women and Girls That We Met with a Shrug, Nicholas Kristof:
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/23/opinion/deepfake-sex-videos.html
Elly Hanson’s work:
https://fullyhuman.org.uk/
Josh Pieter’s documentary with Lily Phillips: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFySAh0g-MI&t=6s
Everyone’s Invited:
https://www.everyonesinvited.uk/
Andrew Norfolk interview about the struggle to expose the Rochdale grooming gangs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHntVVOQRGY
Naked Truth Project:
https://nakedtruthproject.com/get-educated/
Episode edited by Rowan Berkley
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- Visa fler