eGirls has extended our call for student papers to October 30, 2013. Here’s the call again, for those who haven’t seen it yet!:

We’re looking for paper abstract submissions from graduate students in law and legal studies who wish to be accepted for inclusion in an upcoming two day workshop and public conference, taking place March 27/28, 2014 at the University of Ottawa. Successful applicants will present their paper during day one of the workshop, each be eligible for up to $1,000 to assist with travel expenses, and are invited to attend the public conference on day two free of charge. Exceptional papers may also be selected for inclusion in an edited book volume to be published following the event:

eGirls, eCitizens:  Putting Theory, Policy & Education into Dialogue

 with the Voices of Girls and Young Women

Daily use of digital technologies is a key part of the social, personal, professional and recreational lives of millions of Canadians.  This is particularly true for girls and young women, who are increasingly revealing the details of their daily lives on online social networks and posting their own photos, blog posts, and videos online.  Many girls value their online presence as an important part of their lives, but their full participation in the online world can be limited by challenges such as online gender-based harassment, cyberbullying and sexting.  On March 27 and 28, 2014, the University of Ottawa will host a two-day event entitled eGirls, eCitizens that will focus on the pressing social issue of girls’ and young women’s equal participation in digital society.  On March 27, researchers will meet in a workshop to discuss papers to be drafted by participants in advance on issues affecting girls’ and young women’s equal online participation including the influence of media stereotypes and sexualization, racism and homophobia, and the monitoring and collection of personal information.  On March 28, a public conference will bring together policy makers, governmental agencies, educators, legal practitioners, community organizations, youths and researchers.  Conference participants will explore how best to create policy interventions, educational initiatives and new theoretical concepts designed to seize opportunities to enhance girls’ and young women’s participation online, while also meaningfully addressing the challenges that can undermine that participation. However, eGirls, eCitizens will not simply re-hash outsiders’ ideas on what girls and young women need.  Instead, event participants will focus on the firsthand experiences that girls and young women themselves shared during interviews with researchers from The eGirls Project in winter 2013.  In fact, eGirls, eCitizens will be the first occasion on which these findings will be publicly reported.  Girls and young women deserve equal opportunities to participate in digital society and public life more generally.  eGirls, eCitizens is designed to ensure that policy, educational initiatives and scholarly work aimed at achieving equal participation are informed by the perspectives of girls and young women themselves.

The Shirley E. Greenberg Chair in Women and the Legal Profession and The eGirls Project invite graduate students of law working from an equality-based perspective on issues relating to girls’ and young women’s equal participation in society to submit a proposal for participation in the Day 1 workshop on 27 March 2014.  (Proposals from third year JD/LLB students will be considered, although preference will be given to proposals from graduate students.)  Up to 5 proposals will be accepted for inclusion in the workshop.  Successful applicants will each be eligible for up to $1,000 to assist in defraying the costs of travel to the event and are also invited to attend the Day 2 public conference free of charge.  Exceptional papers may also be selected for inclusion in an edited book volume to be published following the event.

Abstract submission:

Interested law students should send a 300-500 word abstract describing the paper they would propose to present at the workshop, along with a 200 word bio to jbailey@uottawa.ca no later than 30 October 2013.

Those invited to participate in the workshop will be notified by 15 November 2013 and draft papers will be due 15 March 2014.

Please direct any questions you may have to jbailey@uottawa.ca.