The lecture tour endeavours to forge links and set in motion
a productive communication of ideas
between different research traditions of the South. This
activity provides institutes and universities the
opportunity to invite a well-known scholar from another
country in the South, with affiliations to a specific
historical school or social scientific research approach, to
give seminars and public conferences on selected themes.
After the West Africa lecture tour, the lecture series,
scheduled for May 2005, continue to be focused on ‘Gender
and Democracy’. Since the issues of equity remain at
the heart of CODESRIA and SEPHIS programme problematic, the
lecture tour in Northern Africa and Senegal focused on « Gender
and Democracy ».
Venues and Organization
The countries selected this time are Morocco, Algeria and
Tunisia. The principle is to organize a public meeting
between researchers and the lecturer, which is usually
advertised in the local press. However the Algeria tour was
cancelled because of visa problems.
A specific itinerary was chosen, to allow the lecturer to
hold a series of public conferences in early May 2005, in
various universities, in Morocco (Rabat and Fez), from 01 to
10, in Tunisia (Tunis) from 10 to 19, in Senegal (Dakar)
from 19 to 23.
As far as the Moroccan part of the tour is concerned, the
Director of the African Studies Centre, Dr Fatima Harrak (Institut
des Etudes Africaines, Université Mohammed V-Souissi), was
in charge of organising the conference in Rabat and at the
Ifrane University.
Dr Miller (Directeur du Centre d'Etudes Maghrébines à Tunis
in Tunisie), organised the Tunis series of conference.
Lecturer and the series of public lectures
The chosen lecturer, Dr Guita Grin Debert (Departamento de
Antropologia, UNICAMP, Alameda Casa Dakar, Senegal Branca
1080, ap.8101408-000 São Paulo, SP, Brazil), carried out a
series of public conferences in early May 2005, in various
Moroccan universities (Rabat,
Ifrane and Fez) from 01 to 10, in Tunisia (Tunis) from 10 to
15, and in Dakar (Senegal) from 19 to 23.
The public lectures delivered by Dr Grin Debert in these
countries was focused on “Gender and Democracy: policies
for struggling against violence in Latin America ». Her
paper was about violence against women, and also about
Brazil’s juridical response to such a problem, which is
considered as violation of human rights. She presented the
pioneer experience of the Post stations promoting women’s
defence. These were created, in the wake of the democratic
renewal, which started in Brazil, in the 80s, and as a
consequence of the pressure from the feminist movements,
which severely criticized the contemptuous way in which the
juridical system, particularly the police and tribunals,
deal with violence against women.
The creation of those post offices promoting women’s rights
was the Brazilian government’s response to these claims and
was the major public policy implemented to fight violence
against women in this country. According to Dr Grin Debert,
« This institution is one of the most visible aspects of
the politicisation of justice, with the aim of promoting
women’s rights, and exerting pressure on the juridical
system, so that issues that used to be considered as
private, can now be penalised ». She also demonstrated,
however, how these police stations turned into « family
conciliation » centres, because of the conservative forces,
and the political movements, which allegedly claim to be
progressive and defend human rights. Such a surprising
resurgence of the family issue involves issues of gender and
democracy.
For Dr Grin Debert, this process can be considered as a «failure
of the process of acquisition of citizenship by women ».
Her presentation triggered off a debate about the
universality of the issue of violence against women. The
feminists, who attended the meeting regretted the resurgence
of these idealised family values, which are not in line with
the current societal changes and the changes in family
structures.
