Towards Feminist Futures and Beyond

​By Ivana Milojevic & Clara Jöster-Morisse
Before the Golden Era of feminist futures visioning—based on 'women's ways of knowing'—ended in the 1980s, feminists proposed a diverse range of visions for the future. Central to these visions were the ideas of gender equality and equity, aiming for a gender-balanced society. This session will explore whether decades of 'gender mainstreaming,' affirmative action policies, and other strategies aimed at promoting gender equality have resulted in positive social change. Are we now closer to the central feminist vision of an equitable future than ever before? Or perhaps as close as we've ever been? Or have we moved further apart? Has this future already manifested in some places, even though its distribution remains uneven? Is feminism still relevant, or is it considered 'passe'? What defines feminism—or feminisms—in our time? What visions of the future do they hold from this point onward? Is the current global mainstream future 'imaginaire' inclusive or exclusive of feminist visions? And does a singular global mainstream future imagination even exist?