The Centre for Gender Studies at Groningen University is co-organizing a two-day symposium and workshop on women’s oral and everyday histories in the Middle East, put together by Dr. Donya Ahmadi and Dr. Sepideh Yousefzadeh (Rudolf Agricola School, Development, Security and Justice group), in collaboration with ICOG (The Groningen Research Institute for the Study of Culture) and NOG (Netherlands Research School of Gender Studies).
This two day event at Groningen University draws on decolonial feminist traditions of historiography to recover the untold and overlooked everyday lives of women across the Middle East — understood broadly to include trans women, queer women, women with disabilities, refugees, and those living under occupation or war. Panels will feature presentations on oral histories, alternative archives, intergenerational memory, and women’s political organization across Iran, Afghanistan, Palestine, Yemen, Egypt, and Turkey.
The symposium ‘Women’s everyday and oral histories in the Middle-East’ on Thursday May 28, 2026 connects to a forthcoming edited volume (Lest We Forget: Women’s Everyday and Oral Histories in the Middle East, University of Groningen Press) edited by Donya Ahmadi and Sepideh Yousefzadeh. There will be 3 panels and 12 speakers.
On Friday May 29, 2026 a hands-on workshop titled The Hidden Archives. Decolonial approaches to writing women’s ‘herstories’ through storytelling and oral narratives will be facilitated by Donya Ahmadi and Sepideh Yousefzadeh, Registration is required for the workshop. Please register here.
You can find more information about the symposium, the content, panels, speakers and locations here.
