Since the Maidan (Revolution of Dignity) and the beginning of Russia's war against Ukraine in the spring of 2014, public discourse on normative femininity in Ukraine has changed considerably. There has been an increasing normalisation of the image of a woman-warrior. In her presentation, Oksana Kis argues that this process should be understood as the development and expansion of normative femininity to include the idea of a woman who is good to fight back (in the most general sense). Kis examines textual and visual materials from conventional and social media to show how women's historical legacies of political leadership and military service are used to assert women's right to participate in the defense of the country today. At the same time, persistent references to folk culture and the revival of magical thinking work to prove women's aptitude to defend and fight back. A complex image of a militant woman (for both soldiers and civilians) is emerging and gaining momentum as a hybrid form of femininity that is more inclusive in terms of its diverse and seemingly contradictory components. This process is unfolding against the backdrop of growing gender sensitivity in the media's representation of women in the military, both in terms of content and language used, as well as the state's perceptible appreciation of women's contribution to the country's defense.
The presentation and discussion will begin at 11.30 am. We cordially invite you to a light lunch and an informal Q&A at 12:45pm.
The event is co- organised by UNET at ZOiS, Forum Transregionale Studien, KIU and Prisma Ukraïna.
If you would like to attend the event, please register by 27 March by emailing events(at)zois-berlin(dot)de.