Seminar given by Maëlle Bernard from Sorbonne Université and Les Éditions Arkhê

Seminar given by Maëlle Bernard from Sorbonne Université and Les Éditions Arkhê, on Thursday 30 March 2023 at 1.15pm in the Auditorium of the Institut d'Optique in Palaiseau, on the topic: "Consent before MeToo. Choosing history as a tool for understanding current gender-based violence."

Abstract: "Since ancient times and for more than two millennia, women have been considered as bodies belonging to men; objects of pleasure or proof of their honour, they have been coveted, controlled, exchanged. During their existence, they were subjected to strict rules concerning their sexuality: as young girls they had to safeguard their purity, as wives they were subject to marital duty. After a rape, they became damaged goods that tainted the family honour, and the courts - nourished by rape culture - have for a long time questioned and still question their word. Writing and telling the story of sexual violence means delving into the past to nourish our understanding of the present and finally bring the victims of violence out of the silence in which they have been immersed for centuries."