How can we conceptualize sexual violence in all its diversity and complexity? Moreover, how can we think about it from a philosophical perspective when the concepts available to the discipline struggle to account for the specificity and prevalence of such violence in contemporary societies? While there is a wealth of research and work on sexual violence in various disciplines within the humanities and social sciences (anthropology, sociology, social work, psychotraumatology, sexology, etc.), and although feminist philosophy has been striving since the 1960s to make it a legitimate subject of philosophical inquiry and reflection, it must be acknowledged that philosophy still tends today to ignore what is specific to these forms of violence, when it does not simply evade their existence.

To mark the occasion of the recent publication of Penser les violences sexuelles (La Découverte, 2025) by philosopher and documentary filmmaker Marie Chartron, this study day aims to fill this gap by reflecting on the issue of sexual violence, what it is, and how to combat it. Bringing together researchers from various disciplines in the humanities and social sciences (philosophy, political science, sociology, social work, nursing) and community workers, this study day aims to highlight the plurality and complexity of sexual violence as a social and political phenomenon, and to determine the ethical and political responses that can be brought to bear on it. It also aims to contribute to philosophical reflection on these issues from other disciplines and practices.

The study day will be held on Thursday, March 12, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., at the Lionel-Groulx Pavilion of the University of Montreal. Registration is required via the following link.

The study day will be followed by a public discussion at the bookstore n’était-ce pas l’été on Friday, March 13, 2026. For more information about the public discussion, click here.

Schedule:

• 8:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.: Welcoming participants
• 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.: Opening lecture by Marie Chartron
• 10:15 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.: Discussion about Penser les violences sexuelles, with Pascale Devette (University of Montréal), Erika Olivaux Marmignon (Laval University) and Mickaëlle Provost (UC Louvain Saint-Louis Bruxelles)
• 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.: Lunch
• 1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.: (Re)conceptualizing sexual violence, with presentations by Sandrine Ricci (UQAM) – “La culture du viol pour penser la violence sexuelle comme fait social”; Marie-Hélène Desmeules (University of Sherbrooke) – “La définition juridique de l’agression sexuelle comme injustice structurelle”; Audrey Rochon (University of Montréal) – “Mémoires émotionnelles et généalogies du corps-témoin”; and Julie Quynh Nhi Tran (University of Montréal) – “Au croisement des dominations systémiques : reconfigurer le regard sur les violences sexuelles vécues par les communautés racisées”
• 3:45 p.m. – 5:45 p.m.: Ethical and political responses to sexual violence, with presentations by Éléonore Paré (University of Ottawa and University of Amiens) – “Gestes et langages infrapolitiques à partir de l’expérience de la violence sexuelle traumatique”; Mona Gérardin-Laverge (Université de Lausanne)– ““Mon corps c’est mon corps” : de l’éducation à la vie affective, relationnelle et sexuelle en milieu scolaire aux ateliers d’autodéfense pour les mineur·e·s, penser la lutte contre les violences sexuelles à l’intersection du genre et de l’âge”; Tania Turnbull (Université de Montréal) – “Repenser le soin : une perspective infirmière sur les violences sexuelles”; and Noah Benoît, Noä Anckaert, GG (Collectif consenti) – “Regards pratiques sur l’intersectionnalité et son application terrain dans un CALACS”

This discussion is organized in partnership with the Centre de recherche en éthique (CRÉ) and is funded thanks to the generous contributions of the Department of Philosophy of the Université de Montréal, the Société québécoise de philosophie (SPQ), the Groupe de recherche interdisciplinaire en philosophie politique (GRIPP), the Réseau québécois en études féministes (RéQEF), the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research on Citizenship and Minorities (CIRCEM) and the Réseau perspectives féministes (RPF).

*N.B. Mediators will be present on site for the duration of the event. Please note that the event will take place in French.