29.04.25, 19:30, Bieke Purnelle, Het geknevelde vrouwenlichaam

No body is so often commented on, standardised and controlled as that of women. Dress codes, beauty standards, abortion laws, headscarf bans,... What women wear, how they behave, how they look and what happens to their bodies has been the subject of debate, policy and political struggle for centuries everywhere. At the same time, women's bodies have remained a kind of medical mystery all this time. Against the obsessive urge to police women is a bewildering lack of knowledge and understanding of female anatomy, biology and physiognomy. This contradiction highlights that the personal is still political, a slogan of feminists from the 1960s and 1970s, which remains relevant today.

This evening, gender expert and writer Bieke Purnelle presents a new publication in the Karakters series, pocket-sized essays on philosophy and cultural criticism. Karakters is a collaboration of Studium Generale, Academia Press, de Buren and Rekto:Verso. After the reading, there will be time for drinks and you can buy the book and have it signed at the book stand.

• Bieke Purnelle is co-director at Rosa vzw, knowledge centre for gender and feminism. She is a freelance writer and columnist for De Standaard, MO, et al.

This lecture will take place at MIRY Concert Hall. The hall is wheelchair accessible via a lift to the first floor. A sign language interpreter is provided for this lecture. Anyone with further questions about accessibility facilities should contact the organisation: anais.vanertvelde@hogent.be. On site, questions can be put to the job student at the desk.