Women gather at U. to discuss rape

More than 100 women from around the world are coming to the University this weekend to explore the twisted relationship between sexuality and violence. The international symposium, entitled "Women, Sexuality and Violence: Re-Visioning Public Policy," is the culmination of a year-long project that focuses on women in the public sphere, according to Annenberg School for Communication Dean Kathleen Hall Jamieson, director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center. The conference, which is sponsored by the center, cuts across cultural and national barriers to bring together activists, scholars and public policy planners from different ethnic and racial backgrounds. Together, they will discuss the array of problems that women must face as age, class, gender, sexuality, race, religion and violence intersect, according to Law Professor Susan Sturm. Jamieson said that the conference is only one of 13 events being sponsored at the University. Each school within the University has been allocated funds in order to bring back women alumnae to discuss their roles in the public sphere. Yesterday morning at Irvine Auditorium, Jamieson opened the symposium by introducing conference coordinators Sturm and Carroll Smith-Rosenberg, a professor of history and women's studies. "Sexuality and violence color the pages of our papers," Smith-Rosenberg said. She spoke about the diverse participants from Bangladesh, Argentina and Chile. She made special note of courageous participant Nermina Zildzo, who was miraculously able to escape from war-torn Sarajevo and obtain a visa. Zildzo will be speaking on a panel about rape, torture and other "Affairs of the State" Saturday afternoon. Smith-Rosenberg suggested the participants attend panels that are comparative and international. She recommended "Religious Fundamentalism and Terrorism Against Women," which places abortion violence in perspective with what is occurring in other countries such as India and Africa. "The conference offers a rare opportunity to address head-on the issue of relationships between the academy, activists and policy makers concerned about sexuality and violence," Sturm said. "There are also theory panels which allow people to stand back and rethink the ideas and structures that reframe how we think about sex and violence." Two other events will take place this weekend as part of the Women in the Public Sphere series. "Women Creating Public Space," organized by the Fine Arts and Architecture Schools, will introduce women architects to the campus. And the School of Engineering and Applied Science will be bringing students from elementary and secondary schools to campus tomorrow to learn about the "Challenge of Engineering."