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The coloniality of sexual violence
On the evening of 17th March 2025, the state of Israel unilaterally ended a nominal two-month ceasefire in Gaza. In one of the deadliest episodes of the whole genocide, that night’s assault killed more than 400 Palestinians and wounded more than 550. The morning after, Netanyahu made a statement announcing the resumption of hostilities. He said: ‘Hamas is responsible for this war. It invaded our towns, murdered our people, raped our women and kidnapped our loved ones.’ It was during a previous temporary ceasefire in late 2023 that initial reports emerged of systematic sexual violence enacted by Hamas against Israeli…
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Online talk: The coloniality of sexual violence
On Wednesday 4th March, I am giving an online talk hosted by the Education, Social Justice & Transformation and Women’s & Gender Studies research groups at the University of Portsmouth. The talk is called ‘The coloniality of sexual violence’ and is based on my forthcoming book Sexual Violence in Racial Capitalism (out in May from Manchester University Press). The talk will take place 1 – 2:30pm UK time and is open to all and free to attend. Register at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-coloniality-of-sexual-violence-tickets-1981750304508 to receive the link in due course. And please do share onwards.
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Online talk: sexual violence as a strategy of enclosure
I’m doing an online talk for the BSA study group on Sociology, Psychoanalysis and the Psychosocial on 7th July (3pm). It focuses on the first chapter of my upcoming book, and is entitled ‘Sexual violence as a strategy of enclosure: an anti-origin story.’ The talk is free but you do need to register, which you can do here. All welcome and do share onwards if you think others would be interested. More details, including abstract, on the webpage.
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Spanish translation of article on Gisèle Pelicot
My article on Gisèle Pelicot and abolition feminism, originally published on the Abolitionist Futures blog, has now been translated into Spanish by the wonderful comrades at Zona de Estrategia. You can read the Spanish version below – please do share onwards to any Spanish speakers/readers you think might be interested. https://zonaestrategia.net/hace-falta-todo-un-pueblo-para-violar-a-una-mujer-comunidad-modernidad-y-gisele-pelicot/
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Sexual violence as the pretext for disposal: talk and discussion at California State
I recently did a talk and discussion for California State University San Bernardino’s ‘Conversations on Race and Policing‘ series, which is now on YouTube and Spotify (also embedded below). This was based on Chapter Six of my upcoming book – the chapter focuses on how sexual violence functions as a bordering project, and traces what I call the neocoloniality of sexual violence through War on Terror formations, authoritarian populism, anti-trafficking initiatives and racialised mass incarceration. I hope it’s an interesting listen – I found it a really inspiring and interesting session.
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First podcast on new book
I was recently interviewed by Dominic Bowen on The International Risk Podcast, about my new book Sexual Violence in Racial Capitalism. We covered a lot of ground, including: how I frame sexual violence as a tool of racial capitalism; how this changes the way we think about its causes and solutions; how the idea of sexual threat is racialised to serve colonial and capitalist interests; and what a genuinely inclusive, anti-capitalist, anti-racist response to sexual violence looks like in practice. Listen to the interview at https://www.buzzsprout.com/1544431/episodes/17194875 or on your favourite podcast app.
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New article on community, capitalism and Gisèle Pelicot
I have a short article out on the Abolitionist Futures blog called “It takes a village to rape a woman.’ Community, modernity, and Gisèle Pelicot.’ It draws on material from my upcoming book to reflect on what ‘community’ means in racial capitalism and how this relates to sexual violence. You can read it at https://abolitionistfutures.com/latest-news/it-takes-a-village-to-rape-a-woman The piece is part of the Abolitionist Futures gender-based violence series, which also features contributions from Leah Cowan, molly rosabelle ackhurst, Tina Sikka and Lola Olufemi, with more on the way. The series came out of a co-produced resource focused on abolitionist strategies for tackling…
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New book coming soon
I have created a page on my website to let people know about my new book, Sexual Violence in Racial Capitalism, which is out with Manchester University Press either late this year or early next. The page contains summaries of all the chapters and an overview of what and who the book is for. I’m starting to schedule talks from September onwards – so if you want me to come and speak to your research group, department, organisation or similar about the book, then do send me a message. As subscribers to this blog, you will also be immediately notified…
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Sexual Violence in authoritarian populism
My book Sexual Violence in Racial Capitalism will be out either later this year or early next, from Manchester University Press. I’ve done a few talks based on the book in the past year or so, but now the first published ‘sneak peek’ is out. I did an interview with the fantastic Aurelien Mondon from the Reactionary Politics Research Network, focused on chapter six of the manuscript. The interview covers two concepts I set out in the book: the coloniality of sexual violence, and the racial capitalist protection racket. It also focuses on my analysis of sexual violence as a…
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New MA programmes in Gender at Newcastle University (UK)
Dear all, I wanted to let you know that at Newcastle University we have just launched a new suite of interdisciplinary Gender Master’s programmes. These are: • Gender and Sociology • Gender and Global Sustainable Futures • Gender and Public Policy • Gender and International Relations Students will do half their credits in Gender and half in their other subject, and the dissertation will combine the two under expert supervision. The modules look at key contemporary issues such as conflict and violence, poverty and inequality, reproductive justice, the environment, migration, identity and belonging. Students will engage with cutting edge scholarship…
Alison Phipps 