The Feminist Files

Affaire Gisèle Pélicot : une anthropologie de l'ordinaire avec Perrine Lachenal

Dans notre premier épisode en français, Astrid Carrasco et Helena Kondak s’entretiennent avec Perrine Lachenal, anthropologue chargée de recherche au CNRS et co-coordinatrice de l’axe thématique « Chantiers féministes » au Centre Norbert Elias. La chercheuse a coordonné une ethnographie multi-située menée par une grande équipe de chercheurs sur le procès des viols de Mazan; une affaire qui “tient à la fois de l’ordinaire et de l’extraordinaire, l’histoire d’une femme, comme tant d’autres, violée par un homme : son mari. L’affaire est inédite par son ampleur et sa matérialité sordide : ces viols ont été filmés, (mais aussi parce que) Gisèle Pelicot fait partie des victimes qui ont porté plainte, bénéficié d’une enquête, obtenu un procès sans huis clos et des condamnations.” Dans l’épisode, nous cherchons à comprendre ce que l’anthropologie révèle sur cette affaire et sur la justice, ce que le journalisme ne peut pas. Nous envisageons l’importance de parler de cette affaire à la fois comme un “événement” singulier et comme une réflexion sur un continuum de violences et de voyeurisme.  Comment envisager le procès et le tribunal comme des objets d’étude sociale ?  Comment habiter ces espaces en tant que chercheuses, et les écrire à plusieurs ?  Pour tout commentaire ou suggestion / for any comments, contact : thefeministfiles2025@gmail.com or DM our Instagram : @the_feminist_files_ // The Gisèle Pélicot case: an anthropology of the ordinary with Perrine Lachenal In our first episode in French, Astrid Carrasco and Helena Kondak talk to Perrine Lachenal, an anthropologist and research fellow at the CNRS and co-coordinator of the ‘Feminist Projects’ research theme at the Centre Norbert Elias. Lachenal coordinated the work of a large team of researchers on multi-sited ethnography of the Mazan rape trial, a case that “is both ordinary and extraordinary: the story of a woman, like so many others, raped by a man: her husband. The case is unprecedented in its scale and sordid nature: these rapes were filmed, but also because Gisèle Pelicot is one of the victims who filed a complaint, benefited from an investigation, secured a trial held in open court, and obtained convictions.” In this episode, we seek to understand what anthropology allows us to grasp differently from journalism and the justice system when faced with such a case: why speak of a singular “event”, which nevertheless reflects a continuum of violence and voyeurism? How might we view the trial and the court as subjects of social study? How might we inhabit these spaces as researchers and write about them collectively?   For any comments or suggestions, contact: thefeministfiles2025@gmail.com or DM our Instagram: @the_feminist_files_ Credits:  Hosted by Helena Kondak and Astrid Carrasco Joined by Perrine Lachenal  Edited by Astrid Carrasco Cover design by Madeleine Baber Music by Jacob Carey ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Endometriosis and Structural Discrimination in the Workplace with Elaine Banton

In this episode, Isobelle speaks to Elaine Banton, a barrister at 7BR Chambers specialising in employment, equality and discrimination. The discussion begins with a discussion of Elaine’s recent appellate success in the case Pal v Accenture. This case tackled disability discrimination and workplace progression systems, leading us into a broader consideration on how workplace models are frequently hostile and unaccommodating to those experiencing endometriosis and other chronic conditions. Elaine emphasises how these existing frameworks frequently lead to structural problems becoming individualised.   We also discuss endometriosis more generally in this episode, talking about ‘medical misogyny’, and why women’s pain is so often normalised or dismissed, and what approaches may be taken to address and change this. The discussion concludes with a reflection on AI biases in government decisions and the importance of building guardrails and fairness into systems proactively rather than retroactively addressing harms. Directly pertaining to the discussion in the episode, a recent petition, created by Sanju Pal, has called for gynaecological conditions to be listed as impairments in the Equality Act 2010 Guidance on Disability. More information on the petition can be found here: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/761186 Find coverage of Elaine’s success in the case here:  https://www.7br.co.uk/2026/02/elaine-banton-successfully-wins-appeal-in-the-employment-appeal-tribunal-in-pal-v-accenture-uk/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/elaine-banton/ Sources used for this episode:  https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/696e07ac5a37ab534a9e235f/Ms_S_Pal_v_Accenture__UK__Ltd__2026__EAT_12.pdf https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/endometriosis/ https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy9y9lrwxqgo https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/328/women-and-equalities-committee/news/212280/improving-menstrual-health-must-be-prioritised-in-womens-health-strategy-and-wider-nhs-reforms-wec-says/ https://www.endometriosis-uk.org/press-release-time-end-stigma https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2drw8l80no https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cm2kke1jn8xo https://bigbrotherwatch.org.uk/press-releases/37614/ https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024/dec/06/revealed-bias-found-in-ai-system-used-to-detect-uk-benefits#:~:text=Neither%20did%20it%20reveal%20whether,prevent%20fraudsters%20gaming%20the%20system Episode edited by Rowan Berkley ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Reframing the Narrative: The Strength and Agency of Afghan Women with Sveto Muhammad Ishoq

On today’s episode, Asha Metcalfe and Rosie Hillary speak to Sveto Muhammad Ishoq, a women’s rights advocate, TEDx Speaker, and social enterprise founder who works to empower Afghan women economically and amplify their voices on the global stage. We discuss how media representations of Afghan women distort the reality of their experience, and unpack the importance of Sveto’s own project Chadari, which aims to reframe the hijab narrative. Sveto emphasises the importance of speaking and listening to Afghan women to reframe biased narratives.  We explore the connection between peace and education, and discuss the importance of Afghan women-led peacekeeping from the diaspora. We consider the strength and agency of Afghan women both in Afghanistan, and among the diaspora despite Taliban rule. We conclude by discussing recommendations for the international community to ensure support for women’s rights in Afghanistan is led by grassroots organisations and centres Afghan women themselves. Find Sveto’s work listed below: Chadari Project https://www.instagram.com/chadariproject/?hl=en [https://www.instagram.com/chadariproject/?hl=en]  Building Peace from Afar: Women-Led Peacekeeping from the Diaspora: https://digital.sandiego.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1116&context=ipj-research [https://digital.sandiego.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1116&context=ipj-research]  Sveto’s TEDxLSE Talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/sveto_muhammad_ishoq_the_untold_truth_about_afghan_women [https://www.ted.com/talks/sveto_muhammad_ishoq_the_untold_truth_about_afghan_women] Organisations mentioned in the episode: Aseel app: https://aseelapp.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoph9RqPXg8NyjUTJUVAP_DbH4qvl9L8-vdjvHvroPTXx9W8cdWi [https://aseelapp.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoph9RqPXg8NyjUTJUVAP_DbH4qvl9L8-vdjvHvroPTXx9W8cdWi] Learn afghanistan: https://learnafghan.org/ [https://learnafghan.org/] Muska app: https://www.muska-app.com/ [https://www.muska-app.com/]  ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

The survival of feminist diplomacy : An interview with Delphine O, former French ambassador for feminist diplomacy

In this episode of The Feminist Files, Helena and Astrid are joined by Delphine O, the former French Ambassador and Secretary General of the 4th Conference on Feminist Foreign Policies. They explored Delphine O's exceptional career trajectory as the first person ever to lead and represent France's feminist diplomacy in multilateral and bilateral relations. She gave them insights into the inner workings of the French foreign ministry, international feminist collaboration, and critiques of feminist diplomacy. They also discussed the unique challenges and structures of the growing transnational backlash movements, as well as the tools feminist diplomacy has to combat them. For any comments or suggestions, please get in touch via  thefeministfiles2025@gmail.com [thefeministfiles2025@gmail.com] or on Instagram: @the_feminist_files_  Credits Hosted by Helena Kondak and Astrid Healy-Carrasco Joined by Delphine O Edited by Rowan Berkley Cover design by Madeleine Baber Music by Jacob Carey ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

"Justice can become blind to truth when it does not consider emotions": Insights into GREVIO, the independent monitoring body of the Istanbul Convention

In this episode of The Feminist Files, Helena sits down with Dr Maria-Andriani Kostopoulou, President of GREVIO: the Council of Europe’s independent monitoring body for the Istanbul Convention. As the leading mechanism ensuring that states uphold their commitments to combat violence against women and domestic violence, GREVIO occupies a crucial role. President Kostopoulou give her insights on how GREVIO evaluates states, issues recommendations, and navigates political resistance. The conversation explores the deeper philosophical and political stakes of justice. Drawing on her powerful insight that “justice can become blind to truth when it does not consider emotions,” Dr Kostopoulou explains why listening to victims, beyond case files and formal procedures, is essential to achieving real accountability. Helena and Dr Kostopoulou also unpack some of the most pressing challenges facing gender equality today: * The backlash against the Istanbul Convention, including controversies such as Latvia’s attempted withdrawal * The rise of reactionary and anti-gender ideologies across Europe * The growing threat of cyberviolence and online misogyny * Persistent barriers to justice, from underfunded systems to widespread impunity For any comments or suggestions, please get in touch via  thefeministfiles2025@gmail.com [thefeministfiles2025@gmail.com] or on Instagram : @the_feminist_files_  Credits Hosted by Helena Kondak Joined by Maria-Andriani Kostopoulou, Edited by Rowan Berkley Cover design by Madeleine Baber Music by Jacob Carey ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.